Question

this is more of a conceptual question, but how would I set a problem like this up given actual values? When energy is conserved in a system, how will it be distributed among potential, linear kinetic, and rotational kinetic energy at different times?

I am wondering if there is a specific equation that relates these values or how I would derive an equation that relates these values.

Answer 1

If you are talking about microscopic level, every degree of freedom of a molecule has the same energy associated to it.

so if a molecule has 3 translation and 1 rotation possible then it will have 4 DOF and same energy linked to every DOF ( which is 1/2kt i think) .

However at macroscopic level there are various factors that govern the energy associated with a system. How an energy is transferred plays a major role. A translation KE can be converted to rotational or PE. So it cannot be generalized.

However there is a only one surety. That the energy from will be in the direction of increasing entropy. So in a way everything is moving towards a lower potential and increasing randomness.

Please like if the solution was helpful.

Thanks