Conservation of Energy
Subject undefined
Pronunciation: con•ser•VA•tion OF EN•er•gy
Definition
a fundamental principle stating that energy cannot be created nor destroyed but only changed from one form to another
Example
A flower pot containing a small cactus falls from the balcony of a 5th floor building. As it falls, its energy gradually changes form being totally potential (PE = 200 J) just as it slips off the balcony, to being totally kinetic (KE = 200 J) just as it strikes the concrete sidewalk. This is an example of conservation of mechanical energy.
