Potential energy and conservative forces (part 5) | AP Physics | Khan Academy

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Graphs of a system’s potential energy as a function of position can be useful in determining properties of that system. Stable equilibrium is a location at which a small displacement results in a force opposite the direction of the displacement, accelerating the object back toward the equilibrium position. Stable equilibrium positions exist where the potential energy as a function of position has a local minimum. Unstable equilibrium is a location at which a small displacement results in a force in the same direction as the displacement, accelerating the object away from the equilibrium position. Unstable equilibrium positions exist where the potential energy as a function of position has a local maximum.

Sections:
00:00 - Force and potential energy
01:45 - Graphs of potential energy vs. position
02:44 - Determining force magnitude
06:04 - Determining force direction
08:04 - Stable and unstable equilibrium points
11:35 - Intuition behind potential energy graphs

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