AN IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION OF CONSERVATIVE FORCES, POTENTIAL ENERGY AND REFERENCE SYSTEMS

Potential energy is an important concept in physics, spanning the high school and undergraduate learning stages. This paper systematically addresses various misconceptions in the study of potential energy. It progressively discusses five issues: the relationship between work and the choice of reference frame, the relationship between the work done by a pair of interacting forces and the choice of reference frame, the selection of reference frames in the definition of conservative forces, the work done by conservative forces and potential energy, and the analysis and reasoning of the symmetry of potential energy. The systematic discussion of the comprehensive understanding of potential energy helps construct a more systematic and profound concept of energy and interaction, cultivates scientific thinking literacy. It is conducive to in-depth study of potential energy and a profound understanding of the essence of physical laws from the perspective of the transition from high school to college.