Objectives - phys161

chapter 11

Vocabulary

Scalar Product (also known as Dot Product), Thermal Energy, Work, Conservative Force, Nonconservative Force, Conduction, Convection, Dissipative Forces, Heat, Internal Energy, Thermal Energy, Average Power, Instantaneous Power.

Objectives. At this point in the course, the student should

1. Understand the concept of work, and be able to determine the amount of work done by or on an object given sufficient information.
2. Understand the difference between conservative and nonconservative forces, and be able to explain why a conservative force allows the definition of an associated potential energy, while a nonconservative force does not. The student should be able to construct a potential energy corresponding to any given conservative force, and vice versa.
3. Be able to determine whether a given force is conservative or not.
4. Realize that dissipative forces are nonconservative, and therefore have no associated potential energy.
5. Be able to apply the work-energy theorem in situations involving dissipative forces.
6. Understand the concept of power.