Yes ,I am talking about the GPE and here K.E is 0 and the mass of the system is in the 3 particles.but the system and point of observation both are stationary so I think their masses are absolute and I am not using any simulation software I am just doing with pen and paper.berkeman said:It would help us all if you could post much more information about the situation you are working with...
- PE = GPE or does it include other types of PE?
- If GPE, are you able to assume that the total energy = the sum of the particles' GPE + KE?
- If GPE, is all of the mass in the three particles?
- If so, what are the relative masses of your point particles?
- And what software are you wanting to simulate this problem with?
Hawkingo said:Let, we want to calculate the P.E(potential energy) of a system containing 3particles p1,p2,p3.the point of observation is P.so now we should add up the P.E at P due to p1,p2,p3 to get the net potential energy of the system,but why we take the P.E of particles due to each other into count instead of the previous method.I can't figure it out.
Don't get me wrong,I want to ask that for example we want to calculate the center of mass of a system and that value is applied to that system because when we measure the mass of the system it appears to be concentrated at the center of mass but in case of G.P.E of a system when we have to measure it we have to observe it by a point of observation and that value varies from point to point.I know I have some misconception but I can't figure it out so I need help.Mister T said:Potential energy is not the same thing as potential.
You can calculate the potential at point P, and it doesn't involve interactions between ##p_1##, ##p_2##, and ##p_3##.
On the other hand, you can calculate the potential energy of ##p_1##, ##p_2##, and ##p_3##. This does involve the interactions between ##p_1##, ##p_2##, and ##p_3##. The point P is not relevant here. It makes no sense to speak of the potential energy at P. The potential energy is not something that you assign to a point. It's something you apply to the collection ##p_1##, ##p_2##, and ##p_3##.
Hawkingo said:in case of G.P.E of a system when we have to measure it we have to observe it by a point of observation and that value varies from point to point.I know I have some misconception but I can't figure it out so I need help.
Got it, thanksMister T said:The potential energy of a collection of particles does not vary from point to point.
Potential Energy is the energy possessed by an object or system due to its position or configuration. It is often referred to as stored energy and can be converted into other forms of energy, such as kinetic energy.
The P.E. of a system is calculated by multiplying the mass of the object by the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s^2) and the height of the object above a reference point. The formula for P.E. is P.E. = mgh, where m is mass, g is acceleration due to gravity, and h is height.
The reference point for calculating P.E. can vary depending on the situation. It is often chosen based on convenience or to simplify calculations. Common reference points include the ground, a specific height, or an object's initial position.
Yes, the P.E. of a system can be negative. This can occur when the reference point is chosen to be at a higher position than the object. In this case, the P.E. will be negative as the object's position is lower than the reference point.
The P.E. of a system can be changed by altering the height or position of the object, or by changing the mass of the object. For example, lifting an object to a higher position will increase its P.E., while lowering it will decrease its P.E.