Question

Will pushing on a car always change the car's mechanical energy? What must happen for the car's kinetic energy to increase?

Answer 1

@shamim please help

Answer 2

u there

Answer 3

Sorry

Answer 4

its fine

Answer 5

@shamim

Answer 6

Mechanical energy is the sum of kinetic and potential energy. Unless you lift up the car, it doesn't really make sense to talk about potential energy in this case. So, the only way to change the car's mechanical energy is to give it some kinetic energy (assuming the car starts from rest).

The only way to do that is to do work on the car through the push, and the only way for work to be done is if the car actually moves (remember, W=Fd), since the work is being converted into mechanical energy. In other words, if you're pushing the car, but the car isn't moving, you aren't changing the mechanical energy. For the car to mov eat all, the force you apply must be greater than the force of static friction on the car.

Answer 7

Precisely
Mechanical energy=kinetic energy+ potential energy

Answer 8

Mechanical energy increasing
Potential energy unchanged
Kinetic energy increasing

Answer 9

@mlgpro