Mechanical energy

Mechanical energy is the sum of a system’s kinetic energy and potential energy. It describes energy associated with motion and position in a chosen mechanical setting.

Kinetic energy: Energy associated with an object's motion, determined by its mass and velocity. It is the motion-dependent term in mechanical energy.
Mass: A property of matter that quantifies inertia and contributes to gravitational attraction. Mass sets kinetic energy at a given speed and gravitational potential energy near Earth.
Simple harmonic motion: Periodic motion in which restoring force is proportional to displacement and directed toward equilibrium. Its energy repeatedly shifts between kinetic and potential forms.
Thermal energy: The energy associated with microscopic motion and interactions within a system. Friction often transfers mechanical energy into this internal form.
Potential energy: Energy associated with a system's configuration in a conservative force field. It is the configuration-dependent term paired with kinetic energy.
Velocity: The rate and direction of an object's change in position. Kinetic energy depends on the square of an object's speed.
Pendulum: A mass suspended from a pivot that swings under gravity. Its changing height and speed illustrate mechanical energy exchange.
Internal energy: The microscopic kinetic and potential energy stored within a system. It captures energy excluded from a system's macroscopic mechanical total.
Conservation of mechanical energy: The principle that total kinetic and potential energy remains constant when only conservative forces do work. It states when the sum defining mechanical energy is conserved.
Gravitational potential energy: Energy associated with the position of masses in a gravitational field. It is a common form of the potential-energy contribution.

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