APPLIED MECHANICS

Workbook
 Question 1: The flying ball has energy because it is in motion. What form of energy is stored in
motion?

Kinetic energy (KE)

1
The Catapult The mousetrap catapult is used to fire a
ball onto a target that is mounted on a
bendable ruler.

Question 2: Before the ball was thrown, where was the energy stored in the system?

The torsion spring on the mousetrap

Question 3: The catapult is essentially a lever and a torsion spring that applies a torque to the
lever. How does the lever’s arm-length affect the force applied to the projectile?

They are inversely proportional. The longer the lever, the less force; however,

3 the torque will remain the same (torque = lever x force).

Calculation 1: Kinetic energy = .5 x .005 x 16² = 0.64 joules (J)

Calculation 2: Torque = arm x force, 9 in-lb/4 in = .225 lb of force

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 Question 1: Would it be easier for the ball to bend a longer or a shorter ruler if it hit the very
end of it?

A longer ruler would be easier, because the bending moment (similar to

1 torque) = arm length x force.

Bending the Ruler The ball fired from the mousetrap catapult
hits the target and bends the ruler back
until it bumps into the push button.

Question 2: If the ruler were to break in the process of being bent, where would it most likely
break?

Close to the base, where it is attached to the plate.

Calculation 1: 11 in x 1 lb = 11 in-lb

Calculation 2: .25 lb x 4 in = 1 in-lb

(Inch-pounds or foot-pounds [ft-lb] are units of energy much like a joule; however, they can
also be confused with torques and bending moments, which are also measured in in-lb.) It is
possible to calculate the ball’s speed using the kinetic energy equation and the mass of the
ball.

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 Question 1: In what form is potential energy being stored?

Chemical or electrical, because a battery is an example of both chemical

1 energy and electrical energy storage.

The Switch, the Battery, The push button completes the circuit
between the battery and motor. Question 2: What is the difference between electrical energy and electrical power? When we
and the Motor refer to electricity from a wall socket, which one are we referring to?

Electrical energy is the ability to do work, or energy stored. Electrical power

2 is the transfer or use of energy. Energy is not stored in our power lines, but is
transferred; hence, when you plug a device into a wall socket, you are drawing
energy per time or power.

Question 3: Electric motors often spin much faster than needed. A series of gears are often
attached to the motor. These small gear boxes are referred to as gear reducers because they
reduce the speed at which the output shaft spins, while increasing their torque. What are the
advantages of using a worm gear as a gear reducer?

There are many answers to this question. The three main answers are: 1) high

3 gear ratios, 2) the worm gear cannot be turned by the large spur gear, and 3)
the output shaft can be perpendicular to the input.

Question 4: Are there any other combinations of gears that could be used to wind up the spool
of wire? If so, what types of gears would you use?

Because the spool must be perpendicularly oriented from the shaft of the

4 motor, the gear system must feature either a crown gear, beveled gear, worm
gear, or helical gear.

Calculation 1: 80 turns/2 turns = 40; thus, the gear ratio is 40.

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 Question 1: Does the diameter of the drum, or spool, affect how fast the cable is pulled in?
Does it affect how much force it pulls it in with?

The larger the diameter of the spool, the less force it would apply to the cable;

1 however, it would wind it in faster.

The Pulley and the The gears turn the attached spool that
winds up the pulley’s cable that will tilt
Teapot the teapot.

Question 2: Approximately how much mechanical advantage does this pulley produce?

It has a mechanical advantage of approximately 2 (it is approximate because

2 the cables are not parallel with each other).

Calculation 1: 1 ft-lb/1 ft = 1 lb of force

The pulley has a mechanical advantage of two: 1 lb/2 = 0.5 lb
So, the spool needs to only pull .5 lb of force.

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 Question 1: Any system that accelerates uses energy to do so. In this case, where was the
energy stored and in what form?

The energy was stored in the gravitational potential of the teapot being higher

1 than that of the cup.

The Teacup and Linkages The teapot pours into the teacup, filling
the cup and causing a series of linkages
Question 2: The falling water (tea) has what kind of energy?
to move under its weight. These linkages
then close the book on applied mechanics.

The falling water has both kinetic energy and potential energy because it can

2 still fall further (that is, the teacup moving downwards).

Question 3: Linkages are useful for creating different types of motion. Additionally, there are
many types of linkages and ways to use them. Try drawing a different series of linkages that
could be used to close a book.

Any drawing of linkages (including a simple seesaw) is valid as long as it

3 looks like it would be able to close the book.

Calculation 1: This sounds harder than it is; pay attention to units when doing this:
1 watt = 1 joule/second = 1 (newton) meter/second = (kilogram meter/second²) x
meter/second or 1 kilogram meter²/second³. Then set that equal to the kinetic energy
equation with kilogram replaced by kilogram/second. The resulting units are the
same.

Calculation 2: By simply multiplying pressure by the flow rate, watts of power can be
derived: 490 newton/meter² x .00001 meter³/second = .0049 newton meter/second or
.0049 watts

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