Which of the following statements about elastic potential energy stored in a str
Practice Questions
Q1
Which of the following statements about elastic potential energy stored in a stretched wire is true?
It is proportional to the square of the extension
It is proportional to the extension
It is independent of the material
It is always constant
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which of the following statements about elastic potential energy stored in a stretched wire is true?
Correct Answer: The elastic potential energy is proportional to the square of the extension.
Step 1: Understand that elastic potential energy is the energy stored in a material when it is stretched or compressed.
Step 2: Know the formula for elastic potential energy in a stretched wire, which is U = (1/2) * F * x.
Step 3: Identify the variables in the formula: U is the elastic potential energy, F is the force applied, and x is the extension (how much the wire is stretched).
Step 4: Recognize that the formula shows that the energy (U) depends on both the force (F) and the extension (x).
Step 5: Understand that the extension (x) affects the energy in a way that if you double the extension, the energy increases by a factor of four, because energy is proportional to the square of the extension.
