If we have a body traveling in void with a constant velocity, and a powerful gravity source suddenly appears in the backside of the body (such that the gravity opposes the velocity of the object), thus suddenly stopping the object by exerting a gravitational force on it, will the kinetic energy of the body be turned into heat?
Please detail your explanation.
2007-05-26 04:16:00 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Nope.
Gravity is a conservative force. Which means that it always can be described in the terms of field and every point in space has a definite potential.
So, when the body does lose energy, it gains the potential energy of the gravitational field. When it returns to the same point, it regains its lost kinetic energy. A rough example of this is when you throw a ball and it returns to your hand, it has almost the same velocity. The small amount of kinetic energy it does lose to heat is due to collisions with gas molecules in the air. That converts the KE in to heat, not gravity.
2007-05-26 04:24:07 · answer #1 · answered by Ajinkya N 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Heat doesn't enter the equation, assuming that there is no air resistance, etc.
By the Conservation of Energy principle, GPE+KE is constant at all times. So the object will slow down under the acceleration of gravity, and then speed up in the opposite direction (towards the mass). I suppose that when they collide there may be some heat!
2007-05-26 11:26:55 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hi. No. The kinetic energy will move the other gravitational source exactly in proportion to their masses.
2007-05-26 11:19:55 · answer #3 · answered by Cirric 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You bet it can, work is being performed, there must be heat generated, that was an interesting problem.
2007-05-26 11:38:22 · answer #4 · answered by johnandeileen2000 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋