If a book sits on a shelf1.5 m above the floor.One frienf tells you that the book's mechanical energy is zero, and another says it is not . Who is correct?
mechanical energy is the sum of kinetic and potential energy. there fore the one who says that there is mechanical energy is correct. Because there is potential energy present
To determine whether the book's mechanical energy is zero or not, we need to understand the concept of mechanical energy. Mechanical energy includes both kinetic energy (the energy of motion) and potential energy (the energy of position).
In this case, the book is sitting on a shelf 1.5 meters above the floor. The potential energy of an object is given by the equation PE = mgh, where m represents the mass of the object, g represents the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s²), and h represents the height of the object above a reference point (the floor, in this case).
Since the book is elevated above the floor, it has potential energy due to its position. The potential energy is equal to the gravitational potential energy because the book is not moving.
Therefore, the book does have mechanical energy in the form of potential energy, and the friend who says the book's mechanical energy is not zero is correct.