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202405081402 Pastime Exercise 010

About the graph below, tell some stories as probable as probable can be.

Roughwork.

We naturally assume there are no forms of negative energy. That is, kinetic energy \textrm{KE: } K\geqslant 0, potential energy \textrm{PE: }U\geqslant 0, and (total) mechanical energy K+U=E=\textrm{Const.}\geqslant 0.

The graph is divided into Zone ①, Zone ②, and Zone ③.

\begin{aligned} V(x) & = \begin{cases} +\infty & \textrm{for }x\leqslant 1 \\ 2 & \textrm{for }1<x\leqslant 2 \\ -2|x-3|+4& \textrm{for }2\leqslant x\leqslant 5 \\ \frac{1}{2}(x^2-10x+25) & \textrm{for }5\leqslant x\\ \end{cases} \\ \end{aligned}

For any conservative system, total energy E takes the form of a horizontal line y=\textrm{Const.} as in a graph. Take E=2 as an example:

\begin{aligned} & \qquad E: y=2 \\ & \Longrightarrow \begin{cases} (E-U=)K> 0\Rightarrow x\in (4,7) \\ (E-U=)K = 0\Rightarrow x \in (1,2]\cup\{ 4\}\cup\{ 7\} \\ (E-U=)K< 0\Rightarrow x\in (-\infty ,1]\cup (2,4)\cup (7,\infty) \\ \end{cases} \\ \end{aligned}

\begin{aligned} & \qquad K=\frac{1}{2}mv^2 = \frac{p^2}{2m} \\ & \Longrightarrow \begin{cases} K(x)>0\Rightarrow \textrm{a particle moves at }x \\ K(x)=0\Rightarrow\textrm{a particle stays at }x \\ K(x)<0\Rightarrow \textrm{no particle exists at }x \\ \end{cases} \\ \end{aligned}

(to be continued)