Potential and Kinetic Energy – SCI103 Phase 5 Lab Report

Assignment: SCI103
Phase 5 Lab Report

TITLE: Potential
and Kinetic Energy

INSTRUCTIONS:
Enter the Virtual Lab and conduct the experiments provided. Please type your
answers on this form. When your lab report is complete, submit it to the
Submitted Assignments area of the Virtual Classroom.

Part I – Answer
the following questions while in the Phase 5 lab environment.

Section 1 – From the left of the screen to the
right, the red balls have a center
of mass placed at 20 feet, 15 feet, and 10 feet high respectively.

1. 1. Suppose
      each red ball weighs 20 lbs.  Find the
      potential energy (PE) for each ball
      on each ramp.  In this lab mass is given
      in pounds and height is in feet, so use 32.2
      ft/sec² as the gravitational constant.  Your answer will be in foot-pounds since US
      units are being used.

      PE
      = m g h   where g = 32.2 ft/sec²

      Ramp
      1:

      Ramp
      2:

      Ramp
      3:

   2. Predict
      the maximum speed (velocity) of each ball on each ramp.  How would this speed change if each ball’s
      mass was doubled?  ASSUMPTION: assume there is no friction and that all the potential
      energy you calculated in question 1 is transformed into kinetic energy – PE =
      KE.  Use the following equation.

      KE=
      ½ m v² 

      You
      want to calculate v maximum speed

      v
      = [KE/ ½ m]^½

      This
      means divide the KE by half the mass and then take the square root.

	Max v for 20 lb. ball	Max v for 40 lb. ball
Ramp 1
Ramp 2
Ramp 3

Section 2 (Each of the green balls has a center of
mass placed at 20 feet high).  While each
ramp looks identical, each ramp has a different amount of friction. 

1. 1. Which
      ramp has the greatest friction?

   2. Suppose
      each green ball weighs 10 lbs.  Assuming
      there is no friction, calculate the potential energy for each ball on each
      ramp. 

   3. Again
      assuming there is no friction; predict the maximum speed of the ball on each
      ramp.  On which ramp does the ball come
      closest to achieving this max speed?

      Use
      this table to organize your calculated values

	PE	Max Seed (v)
Ramp 1
Ramp 2
Ramp 3

Part
II – For the following questions, provide your response
in short answer format (2-3 sentences each). Use this Phase’s activities and
resources to assist you in answering:

1. 1. What
      is Potential Energy (PE)?  Give
      examples from the lab.

   2. What is Kinetic Energy (KE)? Give examples from the lab.

   3. What
      is Inertia?

   4. What
      is Gravity? How is it a type of potential energy?

   5. What is Mass and
      how does it affect energy?

   6. How
      do Potential and Kinetic energy (gravity and mechanical force) apply to the Law
      of Conservation of Energy?

   7. What
      is Friction? How does it affect energy use?

SCI103_Lab5_Updated (1).doc