- #1
PFuser1232
- 479
- 20
Consider a scenario where a car accelerates along a path, with no air resistance. If we model the car as a particle, we have the following equation:
##ΣW_{ext} = ΔK + ΔU##
By question is with regard to the LHS of the equation. It i my understanding that since the engine is a part of the system, "work done by the engine" is not supposed to be a part of the equation. What then causes an increase in the total energy of the system, the system being the car?
When I thought about it, there are really two external nonconservative opposing forces acting on the car: friction and air resistance. Is frictoon the "driving force", for the lack of a better term? And when we talk about "work done by the engine", is it really "work done by friction"?
##ΣW_{ext} = ΔK + ΔU##
By question is with regard to the LHS of the equation. It i my understanding that since the engine is a part of the system, "work done by the engine" is not supposed to be a part of the equation. What then causes an increase in the total energy of the system, the system being the car?
When I thought about it, there are really two external nonconservative opposing forces acting on the car: friction and air resistance. Is frictoon the "driving force", for the lack of a better term? And when we talk about "work done by the engine", is it really "work done by friction"?