Key Terms
- potential energy
- kinetic energy
- work
- force
- law of conservation of energy
Pre Lab Discussion
Materials
- Vernier Motion Detector
- 0.4029 kg ball
- LabQuest app
Procedure
1. Place motion detector on the floor
2. Hold ball approximately one meter above the detector
3. Throw ball up above motion detector, make sure the detector doesn't catch your hands
4. Catch ball before it hits the motion detector
5. Analyze graphs
Graphs:
How do these graphs represent the concept of the Law of Conservation of Energy?
These graphs represent the transformation of energy throughout the experiment and how the two components, kinetic and potential energy, come together to form the total energy (minus friction)
Analysis:
In this lab, we discussed...
Potential Energy:
How to find it:
Ball application: The potential energy of the ball is determined by its position, rather than its motion.
When the ball is thrown up, it will reach a maximum height based on how much kinetic energy it.
has. At this point, all energy is potential. As the ball falls, potential energy turns in to kinetic.
Kinetic Energy:
How to find it:
Ball application: The kinetic energy of the ball is determined by its motion. When the ball is thrown
up, the ball will travel based on the amoun of kinetic energy. Once at the top of its path, the
kinetic energy is zero. The kinetic energy will then increase as the ball travels back down.
How do these relate to total energy? What concept does this lab cover?
The total energy of a system is calculate by adding kinetic energy, potential energy, and non conservative forces together (see graph above) This lab covers the concept of the Law of Conservation of Energy, which states that the energy in a system remains constant. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can be transformed in to different forms. In this lab, we saw the energy transform to potential and kinetic energy. Additionally, in this system, energy was "lost" due to friction.
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