Who wrote the law: Wc = - delta U ?

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Joseph M. Zias
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Delta Law
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The equation for work done by a conservative force, expressed as Wc = -ΔU, was first articulated in the context of gravitational attraction by Joseph-Louis Lagrange. Although Lagrange introduced the potential function, it gained prominence through Charles-Augustin de Coulomb's work in electrostatics. The relationship between force and potential energy is mathematically represented as F = -∇U. This concept became widely recognized with the establishment of the conservation of energy principle.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of classical mechanics
  • Familiarity with potential energy concepts
  • Knowledge of vector calculus
  • Basic principles of electrostatics
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the historical contributions of Joseph-Louis Lagrange to classical mechanics
  • Study Charles-Augustin de Coulomb's experiments and laws in electrostatics
  • Explore the mathematical derivation of the equation F = -∇U
  • Investigate the principle of conservation of energy in physics
USEFUL FOR

Physics students, educators, and anyone interested in the historical development of concepts in classical mechanics and electrostatics.

Joseph M. Zias
Messages
87
Reaction score
30
My history of physics is all too rusty. Who first wrote that the work done by a conservative force is the negative of the change in potential energy? Was he/she also the one who first presented the equation?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Technically that should be ##\vec F = -\vec\nabla U##
The potential function was introduced, in relation to force, by Lagrange, in his study of gravitational attraction but did not get popular until it was used by Coulomb for studying electrostatics and emerged as a physical thingy with the discovery of the conservation of energy.
 
Simon Bridge said:
Technically that should be ##\vec F = -\vec\nabla U##
The potential function was introduced, in relation to force, by Lagrange, in his study of gravitational attraction but did not get popular until it was used by Coulomb for studying electrostatics and emerged as a physical thingy with the discovery of the conservation of energy.
Thank You.
 

Similar threads

High School Work Done By Conservative Forces
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Undergrad System, potential energy, and nonconservative forces
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
High School Conceptually understanding change in potential energy with 0 net work
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
Undergrad Is Mechanical Energy Conservation Free of Ambiguity - follow up
  • · Replies 77 ·
3
Replies
77
Views
6K
High School A car collides with a bus, who experiences a greater change in momentum?
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
Undergrad What is the zero point for Potential Energy and how to find it from integral limits?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Undergrad Doubt about variable mass systems
  • · Replies 30 ·
2
Replies
30
Views
3K
Undergrad Law of Conservation of energy and Wnc
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Graduate Work-KE theorem and net force....
  • · Replies 33 ·
2
Replies
33
Views
4K
Graduate Internal forces converting kinetic into potential energy (vice versa)
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K