CONSERVATION PRINCIPLES IN PHYSICS

The significance of the two important quantities momentum and energy is that they are conserved.

That is, in quite general circumstances they remain constant.

1. Conservation of Mechanical Energy

Since work and energy are related by force. we consider understanding what conservation force
means. A force is said to be conservation if (i) the force depends on one position (ii) the work done
on the body moving between any two positions depends on the initial and the final position and is
independent of the path taken by the body. Examples of conservative forces include elastic force
and gravitational force.

One important aspect of Conservative forces is that the work done by such a force is recoverable.
For instance, if work is done against a gravitational force in raising a load to a certain height h, the
work is recovered when the load falls through the distance h to its original position.

The earth’s gravitational field is an example field containing conservative forces. In such a
conservative field, total mechanical energy is conserved. For instance, the total mechanical energy
(P.E + K.E) of a falling body.

Law of Conservation of energy states that in an isolated or closed system, the total amount of energy
is always constant. Although energy may be changed from one form to another.

Following the consideration of mechanical energy, the law shows that the sum of potential energy
(P.E) and Kinetic energy (K.E) is always constant for a given body. The energy can be change from
potential energy to Kinetic energy and vice versa.

Let us consider two cases

i. Potential and Kinetic energy of a falling body

Consider an object of mass m, at rest at a point h metres above the ground level.

At this point total energy is all potential, there is no velocity, hence it can not posses kinetic.

E = K.E + P.E

E = 1/2mv2 + mgh since v = 0

E = mgh

At certain point Q above the ground where there is a velocity Vq, there is both Kinetic energy, and
potential energy is there is a height q from the ground.

E = K.E + P.E

E = 1/2mVq2 +mgq

At R, the ground or lowest level, the energy is all kinetic because the object possesses a velocity V r
for which it strikes the ground, there is no potential energy since the height is 0

E = K.E + P.E

E = 1/2mVr2 + mgh since h = 0

E = 1/2mVr2
 ii. Potential and kinetic energy of simple pendulum

A simple pendulum consists of a bob attached to a string, the other end is suspended from a firm
support. The energy possessed by the body when it is swings from one end to the other veries from
potential to Kinetic and vice versa. But at each stage of the swing, the total energy remains constant.

P R
K.E = 0 K.E = 0
h P.E = mgh
P.E = mgh
P.E is Max P.E is Max
Q
P.E = 0
K.E = ½mvq2
K.E is Max

The pendulum swings from the highest point P through the centre Q to the other highest point R.

At position Q, the bob is a lowest position, therefore the potential energy is minimal ie zero (0), the
speed of the pendulum is maximum at Q and so the kinetic energy is maximum.

As the bob moves from Q to R, the Kinetic energy gradually transformed to potential energy with the
potential energy becoming maximum at R, the total energy is potential and is equal to mgh. And is
the same for P

Calculations

1. Assume the height of a hill is 50m calculate (a) the velocity of a car at the bottom of the hill.
(b) the height at which it will have half this speed assume the car starts from rest at the top
of the hill.

Solution

(a) Let the velocity be v

Original PE at the top of the hill = mgh = m x 10 x 50 =500m Joules

By the law of conservation of mechanical energy

mgh = ½mv2

m x 10 X 50 = ½mv2

500m = ½mv2

Divide through by m

500 = ½ v2
 v2 = 1000

v = 31.62m/s

(b) Let the height be h

Now v = ½ of 31.62 = 15.81m/s
By conservation of mechanical energy at the top of the hill at the heigh h where v =
15.81m/s we have
PE1 + KE1 = PE2 + KE2
Mgh + 0 = mgh + ½m(15.81)2
500m + 0 = 10hm + 124.98m
Dividing through by m
500 = 10h + 124.98
10h = 500 – 124.98
10h = 375.02
h = 37.5m
2. A stone of mass 50g is projected with a catapult. If the rubber of the catapult has an elastic
constant of 200N/m. and was stretched 5cm. what speed can it give to the mass
Elastic potential of rubber = ½ke2
Where K = 200N/m
e = 5cm = 0.05m
P.E = ½ X 200 X (0.05)2
P.E = 0.25J
Kinetic energy of the stone = ½mv2
Where m = 50g = 0.05Kg
V =?
K.E = ½m2 = ½ x 0.05 x v2
From conservation of energy, Elastic P.E is transformed into Kinetic energy of stone,
mechanical energy is conserved
K.E = P.E
½ x 0.05 x v2 = 0.25
0.05v2 = 0.5
V2 = 10
V = 3.16m/s

2. Conservation of Linear Momentum

The principles of conservation of linear momentum can be stated in different ways

(a) If two or more body collide in a closed system. The total linear momentum after collision is
equal to the total linear momentum before collision.
(b) The total linear momentum of an isolated system of colliding bodies remains constant.
(c) In any system of colliding objects, the total momentum is always conserved provided that
there is no net external force acting on the system.

By isolated or closed system, we mean that the system has no external forces acting on it. The only
force acting in a closed system of colliding bodies are those due to the collision.

The principle of conservation of linear momentum follows from Newton 2nd and 2rd laws.
Let us consider two bodies A and B, of masses mA and mB moving with velocities vA and vB
respectively as shown above

Let consider that the accelerations of the bodies are aA and aB. When the two bodies collide, the
force of A is equal and opposite to that on B

fA = – fB

from 2nd law of Newton, f = ma

mAaA = – mBaB

recalling that a = (v – u)/t

the equation can be expressed as:

mA(vA – uA)/t = – mB(vB – uB)/t

where t is the contact time, u the initial velocity and v the final velocity.

Eliminating t from the equation we get

mA(vA – uA) = – mB(vB – uB) this gives

mAvA – mAuA = – mBvB + mBuB

mAuA + mBuB = mAvA + mBvB

Calculations

1. An object of mass 4kg moving with a velocity of 5m/s collides with another stationary body
of mass 2kg. Find the velocity of the 4kg mass after collision if the stationary body moves
with the velocity of 4.5m/s after collision in the same direction.

mA = 4kg uA = 5m/s vA = ?

mB = 2kg uB = 0 vB = 4.5m/s

mAuA + mBuB = mAvA + mBvB

4(5) + 2(0) = 4(vA ) + 2(4.5)

20 = 4vA + 9

4vA = 20 – 9

vA = 11/4

vA = 2.75m/s

2. An object of mass 10kg moving with a velocity of 5m/s collides with another body of mass
8kg moving in opposite direction with a velocity of 4m/s. Find the velocity of the second
object after collision if the first body moves with the velocity of 4.5m/s after collision in the
same direction.