Laboratory Module 1: Work and Energy Assignment Sheet

Name_____________________________________ Date__________

Assignment Submission Directions: Download this assignment sheet and complete by answering all questions. You will
need to access the simulations website in order to complete the labs. When completed, save your work and upload the
document to the Assignment Upload for graded submission. 50 points.

Items in red font require submission into a pre-populated text box shown as Click here to enter text. (Note: you do not
need to fill this one in, for directions purposes only.)

Part A: Conservation of Mechanical Energy

Simulation Website: https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/energy-skate-park/latest/energy-skate-park_en.html

Learning Goals
As a result of this activity students will be able to:
● Explain the Conservation of Mechanical Energy concept using kinetic and gravitational potential energy.
● Design a skate park using the concept of Mechanical energy.
● Calculate work and energy relating to the conservation of mechanical energy.

Energy, in physics, is the ability to do work. It may exist in different forms like potential, kinetic, thermal, electrical,
chemical, nuclear, or other various forms. In the International System of Units (SI), energy is measured in joules.
Mechanical energy (E) is the sum of the potential energy (U) and kinetic energy (K) in a system. The principle of the
conservation of mechanical energy states that the total mechanical energy in a system remains constant as long as the
only forces acting are conservative forces.

A good way to think of conservative forces is to consider the path of the object; if the work done by this force on an
object is independent of the path taken by the object, the force is a conservative force, such as the force of gravity, on
the other hand, if the work done by the force on an object is depends on the path taken the force is said to be non-
conservative force, like the kinetic friction force.

In this experiment, you will make measurements to demonstrate the conservation of mechanical energy and its
transformation between kinetic energy and potential energy.

The mechanical energy can, however, be transformed between its kinetic and potential forms, so, any change in the
kinetic energy will cause a corresponding change in the potential energy, and vice versa. If the initial velocity of the
object is zero, then the kinetic energy at any given time is:

KE = ½ mv2
Where v is the instantaneous velocity and m is the mass of the object.

While the gravitational potential energy of an object at a height y is given by:

PE=mg(Δy)
Where the potential energy is chosen to be zero at height y=0.

If the mechanical energy is conserved (in the absence of friction), therefore we can say that the sum of the K and U
anywhere during the motion must be equal to the sum of the K and the U anywhere else in the motion.

The scientific definition of work differs in some ways from its everyday meaning. Certain things we think of as hard
work, such as writing an exam or carrying a heavy load on level ground, are not work as defined by a scientist. The
scientific definition of work reveals its relationship to energy—whenever work is done, energy is transferred.
 Laboratory Module 1: Work and Energy Assignment Sheet
For work, in the scientific sense, to be done on an object, a force must be exerted on that object and there must be
displacement of that object in the direction of the force.

Formally, the work done on a system by a constant force is defined to be the product of the component of the force in
the direction of motion and the distance through which the force acts. For a constant force, this is expressed in
equation form as
W=Fdcosθ
where W is work, d is the displacement of the system, and θ is the angle between the force vector F and the
displacement vector d.

To find the work done on a system that undergoes motion that is not one-way or that is in two or three dimensions,
we divide the motion into one-way one-dimensional segments and add up the work done over each segment.

Activity
1. Track building inquiry in Playground Mode.

Part 1: Track building and simulation investigation.

2. Using the simulation, investigate different track configurations using the site by building a track and exploring what
happens with the skater. When you are ready, select the play button to see your skater move along your track.

You can explore the following:

● Add track pieces
● Change track shapes
● Build in jumps, loops, hills
● Be sure to keep the track ‘No Friction’

3. Investigate and explain what affects the skater’s path and describe your ideas in the space below.

Click here to enter text.

4. Explain how you could use your investigation to plan a track that is fun, challenging and one that is relatively safe.
You might think for example: When does she: fly off an end? make it to the top of a hill? or land a jump?

Click here to enter text.

 Laboratory Module 1: Work and Energy Assignment Sheet

5. Once you have an operational track, take a screenshot and paste it below. (How to take a screenshot).

Cut and Paste your screenshot here.

6. Locate the Energy Graphs on your simulation page. Using your successful track set up, describe what is happening
in your energy graph as the skater moves along your track path.

Click here to enter text.

7. Using text resources, explain the Conservation of Mechanical Energy using your own words.

Click here to enter text.

8. Explain why your track is successful in terms of Conservation of Mechanical Energy. Include drawings of the Chart
or Graphs to help explain your reasoning.

Click here to enter text and screen shots to support your answers.

9. Using the Law of Conservation of Mechanical Energy, explain what things need to be considered when designing
any successful track.

Click here to enter text and screen shots to support your answers.

10. Define the following terms in the spaces below.

Mechanical Energy: Click here to enter text.

Gravitational Potential Energy: Click here to enter text.

Kinetic Energy: Click here to enter text.

Part 2: Using Energy Graphs

 Laboratory Module 1: Work and Energy Assignment Sheet
11. A physics student made a frictionless track that looks
like the one shown. She placed a red rubber ball on the
left top of the track at position 1. Consider the ball to be
initially at rest at position 1.

a) At position 1, predict and describe the kinetic and potential energies of the ball.
Click here to enter text.

b) At position 2, predict and describe the kinetic and potential energies of the ball.
Click here to enter text.

c) At position 3, predict and describe the kinetic and potential energies of the ball.
Click here to enter text.

12. Build a copy of the track from question 11 using

Playground mode. Be sure to expand the Energy Chart as
seen in the figure. When you are ready, select the ‘Stick
to Track’ option.

To build the track you can drag track pieces, the object
with three red dots onto the scene and join them
together. Each dot is a movable track point. Be sure to
align your dots with position numbers 1-4.

Below, record screen shots of your Energy Graphs at each

point listed below and describe your Energy Graphs.

a) At position 1, insert your cropped screenshot of your Enter your screenshot here.
energy chart.

Describe your graph: Click here to enter text.

b) At position 2, insert your cropped screenshot of your Enter your screenshot here.
energy chart.

Describe your graph: Click here to enter text.

c) At position 3, insert your cropped screenshot of your Enter your screenshot here.
energy chart.
 Laboratory Module 1: Work and Energy Assignment Sheet
Describe your graph: Click here to enter text.

13. Using the playground mode, build a track that you

think will match the energy versus position graph output
shown. Once you build the track, enter a screenshot
below.

a) Screenshot of track build. Enter your screenshot here.

Describe your track: Click here to enter text.

14. Using the Position (meters) as a reference point, indicate which position corresponds to the following descriptions
of the skaters motion:

Description Position(s) (meters) (i.e. 1 or 2 meters)

a) Maximum Speed Click here to enter text.

b) Maximum Kinetic Energy Click here to enter text.

c) Minimum Potential Energy Click here to enter text.

d) Kinetic and Potential Energy are Equal Click here to enter text.

15. Now enable Friction in your simulation by sliding the

Friction Slide to the middle.

Keep all other settings the same.

Select a skater and run the simulation.

Below, record screen shots of your Energy Graphs at each

point listed below and describe your Energy Graphs.

a) Describe any new data presented in your energy graph, such a thermal. What does this mean?
Click here to enter text.
 Laboratory Module 1: Work and Energy Assignment Sheet
b) With the friction on, does the kinetic energy ever get as high as the total energy? If so, when? If not, why not?
Click here to enter text.

c) What kind of work does friction do on the skater: negative or positive?

Click here to enter text.

Part 3: Work and Energy Applications

16. Examine the diagram to the right.

A roller coaster car of mass m = 200 kg is released from

rest at the top of a 60 m high hill (position A), and rolls
with negligible friction down the hill, through a circular
loop of radius 20 m (positions B, C, and D), and along a
horizontal track (to position E).

a. What is the velocity of the car at position B?

Click here to enter text.

b) Determine the gravitational potential energy of the car at position D.

Click here to enter text.

c) Does the total mechanical energy stay constant during the car's trip from Point A to E? Explain using the Law of
Conservation of Mechanical Energy.
Click here to enter text.

17. Examine the diagram to the right.

During a flood a tree trunk of mass 100kg falls down a

waterfall. The waterfall is 5m high. If air resistance is
ignored, calculate:

a) the potential energy of the tree trunk at the top of the waterfall.
Click here to enter text.

b) the kinetic energy of the tree trunk at the bottom of the waterfall.
Click here to enter text.
 Laboratory Module 1: Work and Energy Assignment Sheet
c) How much work is required against gravity if we were to lift the tree back up to the top of the waterfall? (Recall the
equation for work is W=fdcosθ)
Click here to enter text.

d) Work done on a system puts energy into it. Work done by a system removes energy from it. Give an example for
each statement.
Click here to enter text.

18. Examine the diagram to the right. Notice the shape of

the dam as it resembles an incline, just like the cart tracks.

A hydroelectric power facility converts the gravitational

potential energy of water behind a dam to electric energy.

a) Describe the energy transfers and transformations for the water flowing through the hydroelectric dam from the
stored reservoir, through the dam itself, and then discharged out of the bottom of the dam.
Click here to enter text.

b) Hydroelectricity is generated by storing water behind a dam, and then letting some of it run through generators in
the dam to turn them. If the system is the water, what is the environment that is doing work on it?
Click here to enter text.

c) If a dam has water 100 m deep behind it, how much energy was generated if 10,000 kg of water exited the dam at
2.0 m/s?
Click here to enter text.

19. Describe an instance today in which you did work, by the scientific definition.

a) Click here to enter text.

20. In your own words, describe the Work-Energy Theorem.

a) Click here to enter text.

End of laboratory. Once completed save and upload your work to the assignment upload space on Blackboard.