Question

Describe the many different forms of energy involved with stretching and releasing a rubber band. What other processes are similar to this model?

Answer 1

Answer:

Elastic potential energy------> kinetic energy --------> elastic potential energy

Explanation:

Elastic potential energy is the energy stored in a spiral spring. When a rubber band is stretched, this elastic potential energy is capable of doing work. This energy is just stored inside the rubber band and released when work is done by the rubber band.

Once the rubber band is released and it is in motion, the energy of the rubber is kinetic energy.

The system is similar to a simple pendulum.

Answer 2

Answer:

Conversion of kinetic energy to potential energy (chemo mechanical energy)

In the state of rest, the rubber is a tangled mass of long chained cross-linked polymer that due to their disorderliness are in a state of increased entropy. By pulling on the polymer, the applied kinetic energy stretches the polymer into straight chains, giving them order and reducing their entropy. The stretched rubber then has energy stored in the form of chemo mechanical energy which is a form of potential energy

Conversion of the stored potential energy in the stretched to kinetic energy

By remaining in a stretched condition, the rubber is in a state of high potential energy, when the force holding the rubber in place is removed, due to the laws of thermodynamics, the polymers in the rubber curls back to their state of "random" tangled mass releasing the stored potential energy in the process and doing work such as moving items placed in the rubber's path of motion such as an object that has weight, w then takes up the kinetic energy 1/2×m×v² which can can result in the flight of the object.

Explanation: