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Answers to Readers' Questions on Physical Science:

Work and Energy

The following 2 comments and questions have been sent in. They are listed according to date.

List of first 10 items

• What is work energy theorem?
• Does increasing mass increase velocity in accelerator?

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What is work energy theorem?

Question

November 26, 2008

What is work energy theorem .What is the idea behind it??

Manpreet - India

16858

Answer

The work-energy theorem states that "The energy associated with the work done by the net force does not disappear after the net force is removed (or becomes zero), it is transformed into the Kinetic Energy of the body."

See: http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~vawter/PhysicsNet/Topics/Work/WorkEngergyTheorem.html for a good explanation.

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Does increasing mass increase velocity in accelerator?

Question

November 16, 2008

In a magnetic linear accelerator, if you increase the mass (from 7.087 grams to 14.175 grams) of the steel balls, does the speed or velocity of the steel ball increase over the same distance of 5ft.

Peter - USA

16807

Answer

Since it is a linear accelerator, the increase in energy is linear, such that it increases the same amount in each stage of the accelerator. Assuming the energy is constant, and E = (mv^2)/2, an increase in mass would decrease the velocity. Doubling the mass should result in a velocity of 0.7 times the original velocity.

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