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  2. Minimum total potential energy principle - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_total_potential...

    The minimum total potential energy principle is a fundamental concept used in physics and engineering.It dictates that at low temperatures a structure or body shall deform or displace to a position that (locally) minimizes the total potential energy, with the lost potential energy being converted into kinetic energy (specifically heat).

  3. Principle of minimum energy - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_minimum_energy

    The principle of minimum energy is essentially a restatement of the second law of thermodynamics. It states that for a closed system, with constant external parameters and entropy, the internal energy will decrease and approach a minimum value at equilibrium. External parameters generally means the volume, but may include other parameters which ...

  4. Thomson problem - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomson_problem

    The objective of the Thomson problem is to determine the minimum electrostatic potential energy configuration of N electrons constrained to the surface of a unit sphere that repel each other with a force given by Coulomb's law.

  5. Maupertuis's principle - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maupertuis's_principle

    Therefore, the abbreviated action can be written = = since the kinetic energy = equals the (constant) total energy minus the potential energy (). In particular, if the potential energy is a constant, then Jacobi's principle reduces to minimizing the path length s = ∫ d s {\textstyle s=\int ds} in the space of the generalized coordinates ...

  6. Zero-point energy - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy

    The uncertainty principle requires every quantum mechanical system to have a fluctuating zero-point energy greater than the minimum of its classical potential well. This results in motion even at absolute zero. For example, liquid helium does not freeze under atmospheric pressure regardless of temperature due to its zero-point energy.

  7. Energy principles in structural mechanics - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_principles_in...

    Energy principles in ... Minimum total potential energy principle; Principle of stationary total complementary potential energy; Castigliano's first theorem ...

  8. Thermodynamic potential - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermodynamic_potential

    A thermodynamic potential (or more accurately, a thermodynamic potential energy) [1] [2] is a scalar quantity used to represent the thermodynamic state of a system. Just as in mechanics , where potential energy is defined as capacity to do work, similarly different potentials have different meanings.

  9. Action principles - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_principles

    The energy function in the action principles is not the total energy (conserved in an isolated system), but the Lagrangian, the difference between kinetic and potential energy. The kinetic energy combines the energy of motion for all the objects in the system; the potential energy depends upon the instantaneous position of the objects and ...