Potential energy is linear with height. AKA it takes the same energy to climb from floor 1 to 2 as 2 to 3.
Gravity is 32 feet per second per second aka you gain speed over time. In a vacuum 0 to 32 feet per second takes 1 second, 32 to 64 feet per second takes 1 seconds, 64 to 96 takes 1 second etc.
However, in the first second you fall 16 feet. in the next second you fall 38 feet because you where falling at the start of that second. Thus, it takes more energy to increase your speed.
PS: What's confusing about rockets, is your fuel has momentum. So, when use it your consuming the energy it took to get that fuel up to speed with you. Further, at low speed most of the energy goes into the exhaust not the rocket.
>However, in the first second you fall 16 feet. in the next second you fall 38 feet because you where falling at the start of that second. Thus, it takes more energy to increase your speed...
Doesn't make sense. Care to explain? Are you saying it takes less energy to take an object from 0 to 10m/s than it requires to take it from 10m/s to 20m/s?
Uhh, that's just what happens it does not need to make sense.
You can find plenty of examples but that's about it. Ex: You hold a gun in your hand and shoot it, the gun kicks back because momentum is concerved. But, the bullet is a lot more dangerous than the gun because while it has the same momentum it's got a lot more energy. Now, it hits a bullet proof vest. The vest still hits the person wearing the vest but because it obsorbed the energy it feels like a strong punch instead of making a hole in them.
Suppose a 10 m/s gust of solar-wind accelerates a space-balloon from 0 m/s to 10 m/s. And suppose I want to further accelerate the balloon from 10 m/s to 20 m/s.
A second gust at 10 m/s is NOT enough to further accelerate the balloon to 20 m/s. Because the wind and the balloon are now travelling at the same speed. It follows intuitively that the second gust should contain more kinetic energy than the first gust.
It makes more sense to ask "does an object moving 20m/s have more energy than the same object moving 10m/s?" The answer is obviously yes; so how much more?
Potential energy is linear with height. AKA it takes the same energy to climb from floor 1 to 2 as 2 to 3.
Gravity is 32 feet per second per second aka you gain speed over time. In a vacuum 0 to 32 feet per second takes 1 second, 32 to 64 feet per second takes 1 seconds, 64 to 96 takes 1 second etc.
However, in the first second you fall 16 feet. in the next second you fall 38 feet because you where falling at the start of that second. Thus, it takes more energy to increase your speed.
PS: What's confusing about rockets, is your fuel has momentum. So, when use it your consuming the energy it took to get that fuel up to speed with you. Further, at low speed most of the energy goes into the exhaust not the rocket.