Physics: Conservation of Energy Lab

Conservation of Energy Lab

 

By Friday, August 23, 2013, please complete the following experiment on conservation and post it to the appropriate Discussion Area.

 

In this lab you will conduct an experiment to study the principle of conservation of energy by observing how a toy car rolls down a ramp. At the top of the ramp, the car’s energy is in the form of gravitational potential energy (mgh). When released, this energy causes the car to roll down the ramp. The car will eventually roll to a stop due to friction. The energy dissipated via friction is given by (force of friction) * (distance). You can assume that this force of friction is constant throughout the experiment.

 

Complete a lab report following the guidelines below. See attachment for a general lab report format.

 

Materials:

• A ramp consisting of a large piece of cardboard, poster board, or similar thin and smooth material
• A toy car such as a Matchbox car
• Books to vary the height of the ramp
• A ruler or yardstick

Procedure: This experiment should be conducted on a smooth floor, such as tile, hardwood, or smooth concrete. Do not perform this experiment on carpeting.

1. Using one or two books, raise one end of the ramp off the floor.
2. Measure the height of the ramp.
3. Place the toy car at the top of the ramp and release. Do not give the car an initial push.
4. Let the car roll to a stop and measure the total distance the car rolls. Be sure to include the length of the ramp and the distance rolled.
5. Repeat for two additional heights, using additional books to increase the height of the ramp.
6. Record your results in the table below.

1.  2.  3.  

Run #	Height (cm)	Distance (cm)

 

Results and conclusions: Answer the following questions based on the data collected during the experiment.

1. Describe the different forms the energy takes during this experiment. Include the initial form of energy when the car is at rest at the top of the ramp, the final form the energy takes after the car has stopped, and any intermediate forms the energy may take.
2. In this table, the height is proportional to what form of energy?
3. In this table, the distance is proportional to what form of energy?
4. Take the ratio of your second height to the first height (h2/h1). Also, take the ratio of your second distance to the first distance (d2/d1).

• How do these ratios compare?
• Do the same for the third run in terms of the first run (h3/h1 and d3/d1)

How do these ratios compare?

• How do you explain this in terms of energy conservation?

Conservation of Energy Lab

By Friday, August 23, 2013, please complete the following experiment on conservation and post it to the appropriate Discussion Area.

In this lab you will conduct an experiment to study the principle of conservation of energy by observing how a toy car rolls down a ramp. At the top of the ramp, the car’s energy is in the form of gravitational potential energy (mgh). When released, this energy causes the car to roll down the ramp. The car will eventually roll to a stop due to friction. The energy dissipated via friction is given by (force of friction) * (distance). You can assume that this force of friction is constant throughout the experiment.

Please complete a lab report following the guidelines below. See attachment for a general lab report format.

Materials:

· A ramp consisting of a large piece of cardboard, poster board, or similar thin and smooth material

· A toy car such as a Matchbox car

· Books to vary the height of the ramp

· A ruler or yardstick

Procedure: This experiment should be conducted on a smooth floor, such as tile, hardwood, or smooth concrete. Do not perform this experiment on carpeting.

1. Using one or two books, raise one end of the ramp off the floor.

2. Measure the height of the ramp.

3. Place the toy car at the top of the ramp and release. Do not give the car an initial push.

4. Let the car roll to a stop and measure the total distance the car rolls. Be sure to include the length of the ramp and the distance rolled.

5. Repeat for two additional heights, using additional books to increase the height of the ramp.

6. Record your results in the table below.

 

 

 

 

 

Run #	Height (cm)	Distance (cm)
1.
2.
3.

Results and conclusions: Answer the following questions based on the data collected during the experiment.

1. Describe the different forms the energy takes during this experiment. Include the initial form of energy when the car is at rest at the top of the ramp, the final form the energy takes after the car has stopped, and any intermediate forms the energy may take.

2. In this table, the height is proportional to what form of energy?

3. In this table, the distance is proportional to what form of energy?

4. Take the ratio of your second height to the first height (h2/h1). Also, take the ratio of your second distance to the first distance (d2/d1).

· How do these ratios compare?

· Do the same for the third run in terms of the first run (h3/h1 and d3/d1)

· How do these ratios compare?

· How do you explain this in terms of energy conservation?

Lab Report Guidelines

The purpose of any laboratory experiment is to stimulate critical thought and encourage the use of multiple resources to deepen understanding. Therefore, all of the information necessary to write a good lab report is located outside the text and is based on your own observations and the research of other scientists. To get started on your lab report you should use the format and structure provided in this document, simply read and remove the bulleted information and populate the headings with the information required of each section.

To write a report in APA format, all section titles should be bolded and aligned to the left and should be written in 12 point, Times New Roman font, using double line spacing options. The reference list must also be in APA format and a sample citation is located below.

Title and Author

Introduction/Purpose/Statement of Problem

Include a short explanation of the objectives of your experiment.

Materials

List everything used to complete your experiment.

Methods/Procedure

Describe the steps you completed during your experiment, include a diagram of the laboratory set up

Results/Data

Include all numerical data recorded in the experiment and present it in tabular (table) format. Describe in your own words, and using the appropriate content, what the data means. This can be combined with the discussion/analysis section.

Discussion or Analysis

The analysis section should contain any calculations and/or inferences you made based on the data. This is where you interpret the data and make connections with the relevant content (concepts, theories). This is also where you would discuss any mistakes you might have made while conducting the experiment (and how they affect your analysis).

Figures & Graphs

Graphs and figures should be included when relevant or required. Label the axes on a graph, being sure to include units of measurement. The independent variable is on the X-axis. The dependent variable (the one you are measuring) is on the Y-axis. Be sure to refer to figures and graphs in the text of your report.

Conclusions

Summary and explain your findings, analysis and/or inferences. This is where you would also refer to the initial hypothesis (was your hypothesis correct?).

References

Cite the references/resources you use for the report in APA format.

Generally, you can site a textbook by placing the author’s name (last name first followed by the first initial of the first name), followed by the date the work was published, the title of the work, and the company that published it. For example:

· Darwin, C. (2003). The Origin of the Species. Signet Classics, New York, NY.

You can cite a website by following similar rules. Cite the author’s name, date of publication, and from where you were able to access the information.

· The American Museum of Natural History. (2011). Darwin. Retrieved from:

http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/darwin/