Conversion and conservation of energy for constant forces.

[WallyZ]

Hi

 

can anyone help me understand how gravity and magnetism adhere to the laws of energy conversion and conservation.

 

To this layman they appear to break those laws.

 

Let me share my miss-conceptions.

 

A magnet (or gravity) appears to have a constant force (attraction and repulsion) without any energy conversion.

 

My understanding is any force must equate to some kind of energy.

 

How is this so?

 

So where is the little engine hidden inside my magnet?

 

WallyZ

[timo]

Your understanding that "any force must equate to some kind of energy" is probably wrong. Problem 1: Force and energy do not even have the same physical dimensions/units.

[swansont]

One of the common mistakes in this is that people don't recognize the energy they out into the system as they arrange it. Certain objects are attracted to a magnet, (or masses to each other in the case of gravity) so there is potential energy in the configuration. If the object is released, it will increase in kinetic energy as the potential energy is decreased. When the objects collide, that will be converted into heat, sound and work of deformation.

 

If you want to separate the objects again, you have to put energy into the system to do it. If that's your starting point, then the energy in the system was all provided by you. You are the source of all the energy.