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AP Physics C: Mechanics
3.4 Conservation of Energy
3.3 Potential Energy
IntermediateMCQMathematicalConceptual23.7k
A Cartesian coordinate graph with a horizontal axis labeled \(x\) and a vertical axis labeled \(U(x)\). A horizontal dashed line spans across the graph at a vertical height labeled \(E_0\). A smooth solid curve representing potential energy begins at the intersection with the dashed line at position \(x_0\). The curve decreases to a local minimum at position \(x_1\), increases with a positive slope through position \(x_2\), and reaches a local maximum at position \(x_3\) that is below the dashed line \(E_0\). The curve then decreases to a global minimum at position \(x_4\), which is visibly lower than the minimum at \(x_1\), before rising again to intersect the dashed line at position \(x_5\). Vertical dashed drop lines connect the points on the curve at \(x_0\), \(x_1\), \(x_2\), \(x_3\), \(x_4\), and \(x_5\) to their labeled tick marks along the horizontal axis. No other labels, lines, text, or axes appear.
Graph of potential energy \(U(x)\) versus position \(x\) for a bound particle.
A particle of mass \(m\) is constrained to move along the \(x\)-axis in a region where its potential energy \(U(x)\) is given by the function shown in the graph. The particle is released from rest at \(x = x_0\) and moves with a constant total mechanical energy \(E_0\). Which of the following statements correctly compares the kinetic energy \(K\) of the particle at positions \(x_1\), \(x_3\), and \(x_4\), and specifies the direction of the net force exerted on the particle at position \(x_2\)?

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