How is potential energy equal to kinetic energy?
Potential energy is different from kinetic energy. If the potential is converted into kinetic energy, the loss of potential energy equals the gain in kinetic energy. If kinetic energy is converted into potential energy, the loss of kinetic energy equals the potential energy. If an object falls from rest from a height h, its initial potential energy is mgh . Since it is at rest its kinetic energy is zero Note that the potential energy is not equal to the kinetic energy: one is mgh whereas the other is zero. If it falls through a distance s, then it looses a potential energy of mg s. At the same time it gains kinetic energy = 1/2mv^2 Hence mgs = 1/2 mv^2. If you see the above equation, it may appear that potential energy equals the kinetic energy. But really it is not so. The left hand side is the loss in p.e and the right hand side is the gain in kinetic energy. The actual potential energy when it has fallen down a distance s is mg (h-s) and the kinetic energy is 1/2 mv^2. Note that mg
