1
vote
1answer
63 views

Locally every force admits a potential?

I have a little doubt about a force being or not conservative. Well, as I understood, some forces cannot be expressed as exterior derivative of some scalar potential because the work done by the force ...
0
votes
2answers
106 views

Elastic potential

I have a doubt: elastic potential energy is given by: $U=\frac{k}{2}x^2+K$ but does elastic potential exist? (for example: potential gravitational energy is given by $U=mgz+K$ and gravitational ...
2
votes
0answers
56 views

The particle mesh ewald method in two dimensions

I am attempting to implement the particle mesh ewald method (http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.470117) in two dimensions. I am wondering what needs to be changed in the method from three dimensions to two ...
0
votes
2answers
206 views

Does the potential energy related to a particle determines its rest mass?

Would it be possible to determine the rest mass of a particle by computing the potential energy related to the presence (existence) of the particle, if this potential energy could be determined ...
0
votes
1answer
179 views

Tubelights+power lines pictures?

I've come across many pictures like these, sometimes in chain emails reporting the dangers of power lines. Another claim is that they run on "wasted" energy. The explanations given are that the ...
-1
votes
2answers
141 views

Show that the energy levels of a particle in a specific potential are $E_n=(n+\frac{1}{2})h\omega-\frac{1}{2}\frac{F^2}{m\omega^2}$ [closed]

A particle of mass m moves on the x-axis under the influence of the potential $$V(x)=\frac{1}{2}m\omega^2x^2+Fx$$ Can anyone help me, using Schrödinger's equation in one dimension that the energy ...
4
votes
3answers
2k views

Force as gradient of scalar potential energy

My text book reads If a particle is acted upon by the forces which are conservative; that is, if the forces are derivable from a scalar potential energy function in manner $ F=-\nabla V $. I ...
1
vote
2answers
589 views

If electric charges accelerate towards lower potential energies, why do opposite charges attract?

I know my logic must be wrong but I can't figure out why. I know that charges must accelerate towards lower potential energies simply because that's a general rule of nature. However, when you release ...