How does KE get changed into internal energy?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the transformation of macroscopic kinetic energy into internal energy, particularly in scenarios involving collisions and friction. Participants explore how kinetic energy changes form during interactions, such as a car hitting a trash can or the effects of friction on a moving body.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to understand the mechanisms behind the transformation of kinetic energy into internal energy, questioning the role of forces and atomic-level interactions. Some participants suggest analogies, such as the behavior of springs, to illustrate energy conversion. Others inquire about the specific processes involved in friction converting kinetic energy into thermal energy.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with participants offering analogies and raising further questions about the underlying processes. There is a focus on clarifying concepts related to energy transformation, but no consensus has been reached regarding the specifics of these transformations.

Contextual Notes

Participants are navigating complex concepts related to energy transformation and are questioning assumptions about forces and energy states. The original poster expresses uncertainty about how internal energy changes occur, indicating a need for deeper exploration of the topic.

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hello

How does macroscopic kinetic energy KE get transformed into internal energy?

Car bumps into trash can and small dent is made in the car.Dent is caused
by force from trash can over certain distance (i.e. car gave part of its KE to trash can and trash can gave part of its KE back to car, which transformed it into internal energy)?

How did this transformation happen?I know if we try to deform a body a net force is created on atomic level that resists external force trying to deform a body even more.
But if I'm not mistaken that act alone doesn't change internal energy?
So what does?

Same question for situation when friction changes KE of a body into internal energy. How exactly do molecules gain speed and thus gain internal kinetic energy?

thank you
 
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On the dent part, think of the analogy where the object being hit has a spring protruding and a ratchet mechanism to hold the spring at any compressed length. As the car hits the spring and compresses it, the spring ratchets in some and then stays at some compressed length. The conversion in energy has been from the car's drop in KE to the spring's increased PE. The increased PE of the spring can be considered internal energy for the thing that the car ran into.
 
hi

And how does friction get transformed into thermal energy?
 
The directed energy of an impact can become randomized at the atomic/molecular level by scattering.
 

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