DefintionMechanical energy is the energy possessed by an object due to its motion or its position. I think this means that mechanical energy is the sum of kinetic energy and potential energy.
How to Calculate Mechanical EnergyThe equation to solve for the mechanical energy of an object is ME=KE+PE, where KE is the kinetic energy of an object and the PE is the potential energy of an object. For example if you threw a ball up into the air, and it comes back and hits the ground the process is an example of mechanical energy. When the ball first leaves your hand it has both kinetic energy and potential energy. As the ball gets higher up into the air, it gains gravitational potential energy, and has less kinetic energy. When the ball reaches it's highest in the air, it has its maximum amount of gravitational potential energy and no kinetic energy. When the ball falls back towards the ground it gains kinetic energy and loses some gravitational potential energy. When the ball hits the ground it has its maximum amount of kinetic energy, and no gravitational potential energy. So throughout this whole process the objects mechanical energy stays the same.
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How Mechanical Energy is TransferredAccording to the principle of conservation of mechanical energy, the mechanical energy of an isolated system remains constant in time, as long as the system is free of friction and other non-conservative forces. For example a wrecking ball that is swung backwards away from a building. As the ball is swung backward using mechanical energy, potential energy is stored. When the ball is swung forwards to wreck the building, this is kinetic energy.
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