Introduction

Mechanical energy is the energy that an object has due to its motion or position.



C4.1 Volleyball
Mechanical energy can be either kinetic energy (energy of motion) or potential energy (stored energy of position). Objects have mechanical energy if they are in motion or if they are held at a position above the surface of Earth.

Some examples of mechanical energy are
  • a child held on his parents shoulders due to his or her position above the ground
  • a moving car due to its speed and motion
  • a thrown football due to its speed and position above the ground
  • a hand weight lifted high above a person’s head due to its position above the ground

  Target

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to

  • relate how kinetic energy always changes into another type of energy due to energy conservation

  Watch This

Conservation of Energy © YouTube Bozeman Science


This video reviews concepts covered so far in this section of the unit. Energy can neither be created nor destroyed but may be transferred. Energy comes in many forms (including chemical, mechanical, light, electrical, and thermal). This lesson looks further at mechanical energy. This will help get you in the right mindset for this lesson.