The discussion revolves around the concept of potential energy in simple harmonic motion (SHM), specifically questioning whether a non-zero minimum potential energy implies that a spring is stretched at the mean position. The context includes theoretical considerations of potential energy definitions and their implications in a spring-mass system.
Participants express differing views on the implications of non-zero minimum potential energy in SHM, and the discussion remains unresolved regarding specific instances where minimum potential energy may not be zero.
There are limitations in the discussion regarding assumptions about potential energy definitions and the implications of those definitions on the behavior of the spring-mass system in SHM.
vijayramakrishnan said:in shm,if minimum potential energy of an shm is not zero,does that mean that in mean position ,spring is stretched.
eg mass attached to a vertical spring.
so in kinetic energy potential energy curve of shm,why is minimum potential energy not zero at some instances?ZapperZ said:One typically define the PE of the spring-mass system as having zero PE when it is in the equilibrium position (hang the mass, let it sit there without moving, and that's the equilibrium position). When it is stretched or compressed, then the spring-mass system will have an amount of potential energy based on the amount that it is stretched/compressed.
Zz.
vijayramakrishnan said:so in kinetic energy potential energy curve of shm,why is minimum potential energy not zero at some instances?
I already answered this. It does not make any difference to the physics where the zero for your PE is.vijayramakrishnan said:why is minimum potential energy not zero at some instances?