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(/Read-(/Practice-
(/Teacher- Work, Energy, and Power - Lesson 2 - The Work-Energy Relationship
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Test) Internal vs. External Forces
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Internal vs. External Forces
Analysis of Situations Involving External Forces(/class/energy/Lesson-2/Analysis-of-Situations-Involving-
Physics Tutorial(/class) External-Forces)
1-D
Analysis of Situations in Which Mechanical Energy is Conserved(/class/energy/Lesson-2/Analysis-of-
Kinematics(/Physics-
Tutorial/1-D- Situations-in-Which-Mechanical-Energy)
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Application and Practice Questions(/class/energy/Lesson-2/Application-and-Practice-Questions)
Newton's
Laws(/Physics- Bar Chart Illustrations(/class/energy/Lesson-2/Bar-Chart-Illustrations)
Tutorial/Newton-s-
Laws) There are a variety of ways to categorize all the types of forces. In a previous
Vectors - Motion and unit(http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/newtlaws/u2l2a.cfm), it was mentioned that all the
Forces in Two
Dimensions(/class/vectors) types of forces could be categorized as contact forces or as action-at-a-distance forces. Whether
Momentum and Its a force was categorized as an action-at-a-distance force was dependent upon whether or not that
Conservation(/class/momentum) type of force could exist even when the objects were not physically touching. The force of gravity,
Work and electrical forces, and magnetic forces were examples of forces
Energy(/class/energy)
that could exist between two objects even when they are not
Circular Motion and
Satellite physically touching. In this lesson, we will learn how to categorize
Motion(/class/circles)
forces based upon whether or not their presence is capable of
Thermal
Physics(/class/thermalP)
changing an object's total mechanical
Static
Electricity(/class/estatics) energy(http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/energy/u5l1d.cfm). We will learn that there are
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Electric certain types of forces, that when present and when involved in doing work on objects will change /
Circuits(/class/circuits)
 Vibrations and the total mechanical energy of the object. And there are other types of forces that can never
Waves(/class/waves)
change the total mechanical energy of an object, but rather can only transform the energy of an
Sound Waves and
Music(/class/sound)
object from potential energy to kinetic energy (or vice versa). The two categories of forces are
Light and
referred to as internal forces and external forces.
Color(/class/light)
Reflection and  
Mirrors(/class/refln)
Refraction and
Lenses(/class/refrn)
What Does Work Do?
Forces can be categorized as internal forces or external forces. There are many sophisticated and
worthy ways of explaining and distinguishing between internal and external forces. Many of these
Physics Interactives(/Physics-Interactives) Mobitel
ways are commonly discussed at great length in physics textbooks - particularly college-level
Concept Builders(/Concept-Builders)physics textbooks. For our purposes, we will simply say that external forces include the applied
Unlimited
force, normal force, tension force, friction force, and air resistance force. And for our purposes, YouTube
the internal forces include the gravity forces, magnetic force, electrical force, and spring force.
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While this is a simplistic approach, it is an approach that will serve us well in our introduction to Mobitel Sri Lanka

Shockwave Studios(/shwave) physics.

Only Rs. 249 +
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The importance of categorizing a force as being either internal or external is related to the ability
of that type of force to change an object's total mechanical energy when it does work upon an
The Calculator Pad(/calcpad) object. When net work is done upon an object by an external force, the total mechanical energy
(KE + PE)(http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/energy/u5l1d.cfm) of that OPEN
Physics Help(/morehelp) object is changed. If the work is positive work, then the object will gain energy. If
the work is negative work, then the object will lose energy. The gain or loss in
ACT Test Center(/actprep)
energy can be in the form of potential
energy(http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/energy/u5l1b.cfm), kinetic
Curriculum Corner(/curriculum) energy(http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/energy/u5l1c.cfm), or both. Under such Follow Us
circumstances, the work that is done will be equal to the change in mechanical energy of the
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object. This principle will be discussed in great detail later in this
lesson(http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/energy/u5l2b.cfm). Because external forces are
NGSS Corner(/NGSS-Corner) capable of changing the total mechanical energy of an object, they are sometimes referred to as
nonconservative forces.
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When the only type of force doing net work upon an object is an internal force (for example,
Reasoning Center(/reasoning) gravitational and spring forces), the total mechanical energy (KE + PE)
(http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/energy/u5l1d.cfm) of that object remains constant. In
The Laboratory(/lab) such cases, the object's energy changes form. For example, as an object is "forced" from a high
elevation to a lower elevation by gravity, some of the potential energy of that object is
The Photo Gallery(/gallery) transformed into kinetic energy. Yet, the sum of the kinetic and potential energies remains
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constant. This is referred to as energy conservation and will be discussed in detail later in this /
 lesson(http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/energy/u5l2b.cfm#conserve). When the only
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forces doing work are internal forces, energy changes forms - from kinetic to potential (or vice
versa); yet the total amount of mechanical is conserved. Because internal forces are capable of
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changing the form of energy without changing the total amount of mechanical energy, they are
sometimes referred to as conservative forces.
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Mobitel  

Unlimited In the following descriptions, the only forces doing work upon the objects are internal
forces - gravitational and spring forces. Thus, energy is transformed from KE to PE (or vice
YouTube versa) while the total amount of mechanical energy is conserved. Read each description and
indicate whether energy is transformed from KE to PE or from PE to KE. Click the mouse to check
your answers.
 
KE to PE or PE
Only Rs. 249 +   Description of Motion to KE?
Taxes monthly Explain.
A ball falls from a height of 2 meters in the absence of air resistance.
See
Answer
 
 
 
 
A skier glides from location A to location B across a friction free ice.
Mobitel Sri Lanka See
  Answer

 
 
A baseball is traveling upward towards a man in the bleachers.

See
  Answer

 
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 A bungee cord exerts an upward force upon a falling bungee jumper
to slow the jumper down.
See
  Answer

 
 
The spring of a dart gun exerts a force on a dart as it is launched from
an initial rest position. See
  Answer
 
 

NOTE: Perhaps at this time you might find it useful to review the lessons on
kinetic energy(http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/energy/u5l1c.cfm) and
potential energy(http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/energy/u5l1b.cfm).

 
 

Positive vs. Negative Work and Energy Change

When work is done by external forces (nonconservative forces), the total mechanical energy of
the object is altered. The work that is done can be positive work or negative work depending on
whether the force doing the work is directed opposite the object's motion or in the same direction
as the object's motion. If the force and the displacement are in the same direction, then positive
work is done on the object. If positive work is done on an object by an external force, then the
object gains mechanical energy. If the force and the displacement are in the opposite direction,
then negative work is done on the object; the object subsequently loses mechanical energy.
 
The following descriptions involve external
forces(http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/energy/u5l2a.cfm#external) (friction,
applied, normal, air resistance and tension forces) doing work upon an object. Read the
description and indicate whether the object gained energy (positive work) or lost energy (negative
work). (NOTE: If this is part is difficult, review the section on
work(http://www.physicsclassroom.com/Class/energy/u5l1a.cfm#dirn).) Then, indicate whether
the gain or loss of energy resulted in a change in the object's kinetic energy, potential energy, or
both. Click the buttons to view answers.
 
Change PE or
Description + or - Work?
KE or Both?

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 Megan drops the ball and hits an awesome
forehand. The racket is moving horizontally as the
strings apply a horizontal force while in contact   See Answer See Answer
with the ball.
   

 
A tee ball player hits a long ball off the tee. During
the contact time between ball and bat, the bat is
moving at a 10 degree angle to the horizontal.
See Answer See Answer

   

 
Rusty Nales pounds a nail into a block of wood. The
hammer head is moving horizontally when it applies
force to the nail.
See Answer See Answer

   

 
The frictional force between highway and tires
pushes backwards on the tires of a skidding car.

See Answer See Answer

 
A diver experiences a horizontal reaction force
exerted by the blocks upon her feet at start of the
race.
See Answer See Answer

   

 
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 A weightlifter applies a force to lift a barbell above
his head at constant speed.
See Answer See Answer

   
 
 
Note that in the five situations described above, a horizontal force can never change the potential
energy of an object. Horizontal forces cannot cause vertical displacements. The only means by
which an external or nonconservative force can contribute to a potential energy change is if the
force has a vertical component. Potential energy changes are the result of height changes and
only a force with a vertical component can cause a height change.
 
(http://www.physicsclassroom.com/mmedia/index.cfm#work)
 
 
 

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Analysis of Situations Involving External Forces(/class/energy/Lesson-2/Analysis-of-Situations-Involving-
External-Forces)

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