Question

What is the diffrence between elastic potential energy and spring potential energy?

Answer 1

Answer om Question #45884 – Physics - Mechanics | Kinematics | Dynamics

What is the difference between elastic potential energy and spring potential energy?

Solution:

Elastic potential energy is the amount of energy that is stored in a material that can be compressed (not just a spring). One can measure the elastic potential energy in a material by the equation

$$E = \frac{kx^2}{2}$$

, $k$ is the spring constant of an object. The spring constant tells you how stretchy (or elastic) a material is. $x$ is the distance that the object is stretched or compressed.

If a force is applied on a spring so as to compress it or to elongate it, work is said to be done on that spring. When work is done against frictional force, the work spent on it cannot be recovered. It is lost as it is converted into heat energy. In the case of spring, the energy or work done on it can be recovered in full, on removing the force applied on it.

In other words, the work we have spent on it is stored as potential energy of the spring. The potential energy stored in the spring is called elastic potential energy of the spring, as there are different types of potential energy in nature.

Hence, spring potential energy is a subtype of the elastic potential energy.

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