Conservation of energy and momentum

AI Thread Summary
Practical applications of energy and momentum principles can be found in environmental contexts, such as hydroelectric facilities. In these systems, potential energy from water is converted to kinetic energy, which is then harnessed by generators. The calculation involves determining the mass of water and its potential energy before it enters the penstock, followed by kinetic energy calculations at the outlet. Additionally, momentum principles can be illustrated through scenarios like billiard ball collisions, where mass and velocity are analyzed to determine outcomes post-collision. Understanding these concepts can highlight their significance in both energy production and societal impact.
SammyV
Hey if anyone can help me figure out a practical application that applies the principles of energy and momentum it would be greatly appreciated. It also has to have some environmental or impact on society.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
SammyV said:
Hey if anyone can help me figure out a practical application that applies the principles of energy and momentum it would be greatly appreciated. It also has to have some environmental or impact on society.

Everything fits those requirements if you think hard enough about the connections.
 
Generally, one would use energy to describe two occurrences that are separated by distance, while moment would apply to two occurrences that are separated by time if that makes sense.

For instance, when considering the amount of energy converted by a single generator in an impoundment hydroelectric facility one would: 1. develop an equation for the mass of water (vol x density) and use it to determine the potential energy of a volume of water entering the penstock. 2. use the PE to find the kinetic energy at the outlet of the penstock (being careful to account for the fact that the penstock is at an angle). 3. use KE to find energy imparted to the generator. obviously, this is an over-simplified example but i think it will help.

Momentum, on the other hand, would be used to solve such problems as: a billiard ball has mass m and moves with a velocity v and hits the object ball at an angle of 30 degrees, what is the velocity of the object ball after the collision?
 

Thread 'Average velocity as a weighted mean'

Hello everyone, Consider the problem in which a car is told to travel at 30 km/h for L kilometers and then at 60 km/h for another L kilometers. Next, you are asked to determine the average speed. My question is: although we know that the average speed in this case is the harmonic mean of the two speeds, is it also possible to state that the average speed over this 2L-kilometer stretch can be obtained as a weighted average of the two speeds? Best regards, DaTario
View full post »

Thread '1:1 versus 2:1 Mechanical Advantage debate'

The rope is tied into the person (the load of 200 pounds) and the rope goes up from the person to a fixed pulley and back down to his hands. He hauls the rope to suspend himself in the air. What is the mechanical advantage of the system? The person will indeed only have to lift half of his body weight (roughly 100 pounds) because he now lessened the load by that same amount. This APPEARS to be a 2:1 because he can hold himself with half the force, but my question is: is that mechanical...
View full post »

Thread 'Newton's first law?'

Some physics textbook writer told me that Newton's first law applies only on bodies that feel no interactions at all. He said that if a body is on rest or moves in constant velocity, there is no external force acting on it. But I have heard another form of the law that says the net force acting on a body must be zero. This means there is interactions involved after all. So which one is correct?
View full post »

Similar threads

I Conservation of Momentum versus Conservation of Velocity
Replies
6
Views
2K
B Conservation of momentum and conservation of energy details
Replies
30
Views
2K
Conservation of linear and angular momentum
Replies
9
Views
2K
B Conservation of momentum in a closed system
Replies
3
Views
2K
B Why is KE not conserved when momentum is?
2
Replies
53
Views
4K
I Angular Momentum problem v2 (mass moving inward or outward)
Replies
5
Views
2K
B Conservation of Momentum for system of particles
2
Replies
52
Views
4K
B Colliding balls: Conservation of momentum and changes in kinetic energy?
Replies
2
Views
2K
Conservation of energy in Gravitation
Replies
4
Views
1K
I How do we analyze collisions involving accelerating objects?
Replies
4
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top