The discussion clarifies that 1.89 Joules (J) of work is equivalent to the product of force in Newtons and displacement in meters, establishing that work is done when a force causes an object's displacement. It emphasizes that Joules, as a unit of work, is defined as Newton-meters. Additionally, it distinguishes between the concepts of gravitational and elastic potential energy, explaining that while objects do not store energy, systems do, with potential energy representing the energy stored between two objects in a system.
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Welcome to pfMoose772 said:So work is when a force causes a displacement of an object. So what does it mean when 1.89J of work is done by an applied force? Does it mean this amount of force is needed to cause a displacement?
Objects don't really store energy except as heat. Systems store energy. Potential energy is the energy between two objects in a system.Also how and why does an object store energy? I'm really confused by gravitational and elastic potential energy.