Public School, Deer Creek Minnesota, 1918 LakesnWoods.com Postcard and Postcard Image Collection - click image to enlarge Aerial view, Deer Creek Minnesota, 1972
Whenever work is done upon an object by an external force, there will be a change in the total mechanical energy of the object. If only internal forces are doing work (no work done by external forces), there is no change in total mechanical energy; the total mechanical energy is said to be conserved.
The work done by the friction force is equal to the change in the mechanical energy of the system. The potential energy at the origin is taken to be zero. Therefore, the initial mechanical energy of the system is just the kinetic energy of the block. Figure 8.5.