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Home Q & A Board Biology-Related Homework Help Biochemistry
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smmrwds smmrwds
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11 years ago
The formula for kinetic energy is Ek=1/2*m*v^2 and that for Potential energy is Ep=m*g*h, yet both forms of energy are measured in joules. Why is this so?
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#1
11 years ago
because the unit of measurement for energy is joules.
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Lem_23Lem_23
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11 years ago
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#3
11 years ago
Energy is defined as the capacity to do work. it is measured in the unit "joule" or "N-m". Energy exists in different forms viz. Mechanical, Light, Sound, Electricity etc. Only, the way of calculating energy varies in each form. Here, "Way" means "Formula". But results are always "same" in "joules". There cannot be more than one unit for a particular parameter (As we can measure "Length" only in meters, kilometers etc., but not in kg, celsius etc.)
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#4
11 years ago
'Kinetic' means related to motion that's why KE = 1/2mv^2  and v is the variable component in respect of motion &'Potential' means due to it's position that's why PE = mgh and h is the variable component in respect of position.
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#5
11 years ago
because the scienist joule dd t
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#6
11 years ago
By definition, a Joule ~ kg.m.m/sec^2 in kms SI units.

Your Ek ~ kg.(m/sec)^2 ~ kg.m.m/sec^2 ~ Joule by definition; so 1/2 mv^2 yields energy units

Your Ep ~ kg.(m/sec^2).m ~ kg.m.m/sec^2 ~ Joule by definition, so mgh yields energy units.

By definition, energy is the capability to do work or cause a change.  Ek can do work.  We convert the Ek of a waterfall into electricity by turning electric generators and thus doing work on them.

Ep has no capability to do work or cause a change, but it has the potential (thus the term potential energy) to have that capability upon conversion into some other form of energy, like Ek.  It has the same units as the capability to do work or cause a change because it has the potential to be that kind of energy.
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#7
11 years ago
Energy can't be created or destroyed but only transferred. When we talk about energy we define the same thing only in different forms.
Imagine milkshakes, it can come in a number of flavors but still it's a milkshake. Now in order to find the amount of energy we need to use the right formula to get the right answer, like a recipe for the right shake.
Now different formulas need different values, potential needs height gravity and mass, kinetic needs mass and velocity. We can't use velocity to calculate potential energy and so on. By the same way you don't make a chocolate milkshake with strawberry's.
The final result is we can find the correct energy and because this is a uniform measurement we can also compare values and make sense of it.

I hope this helps in any way:-)
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