conserve_energy_lab_report
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Miami Dade College, Miami *
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Jan 9, 2024
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Law of Conservation of Energy Lab Report
Instructions: In Part One of the Law of Conservation of Energy lab, you will research the law of conservation of energy in a skate park simulation. In Part Two of the Law of Conservation of Energy lab, you will investigate the law of conservation of energy while using the engineering design process to design your own skate park ramp in a skate park simulation. Record your observations and work in the lab report below. You will submit your completed report for both Part One and Part Two of the lab.
Name and Title: 09/13/2023
Law of Conservation of Energy Lab
Objective(s): The purpose of this lab is to explore the law of conservation of energy and apply the engineering design process to design a model that demonstrates the law of conservation of energy.
Part One: Research the Energy Skate Park Basics: Intro Simulation Instructions: 1.
Select the Intro Simulation located at the bottom of the simulation window. 2.
Once the Intro Simulation loads, select all of the following from the options located on the right-
hand side of your screen:
U-shaped ramp
Pie Chart
Bar Graph
Grid
Speed
Leave the mass on the center setting 3. Then, drag your skater onto the highest part of the U-shaped ramp and select the start arrow to begin. You may use the pause button to stop your skater and the slow motion button to slow the skater down.
Record your data in the chart below using the following terms:
increases
, decreases
, or stays the same
. Be sure to complete the entire data chart.
Position of the Skater on the
U-shaped Ramp
Amount of
Potential
Energy
Amount of
Kinetic Energy
Speed
Total Energy
1
Moving down the ramp from 6 meters to 4 meters
decreases
increases
increases
Stays the same
2
Moving down the ramp from 4 meters to 2 meters
decreases
increases
increases
Stays the same
3
Moving up the ramp from 2 meters to 4 meters
increases
decreases
decreases
Stays the same
4
Moving up the ramp from 4 meters to 6 meters
increases
decreases
decreases
Stays the same
Complete the questions below. Please write in complete sentences.
1. What is the relationship between potential energy, kinetic energy, and speed as the skater moves down and up the U-shaped ramp?
The potential energy decreases while the kinetic energy and speed increases as the skater moves down and opposite when the skater goes up the ramp.
2. What happens to the total energy as the skater moves down and up the U-shaped ramp?
The total energy doesn’t change at all, it stays the same.
Part Two: Design and Test a Skate Park Ramp: Playground Simulation
In Part Two, you will apply the engineering design process to design your own skate park ramp. Instructions:
1.
Select the Playground Simulation at the bottom of the simulation window. 2.
Once the Playground Simulation loads, select all of the following options located on the right-
hand side of your screen:
Pie Chart
Bar Graph
Grid
Speed
Leave mass on the center setting
Set friction to none
3. Complete the Hypothesis, Design, Testing, and Conclusion sections below.
Hypothesis:
In this section, include the if/then statement for your lab. This statement reflects your predicted outcome for the investigation. With the grid selection on, make a hypothesis about how the starting height of the skater will affect the energy needed to successfully complete your skate park playground ramp design. If my skater begins at a height of __8____ meters, then the skater will have enough total energy to successfully complete the skate park ramp from start to finish
. (Fill in the blank with a height between 0 and 10 meters.)
Design:
You will test three different skate park ramp designs that meet the following criteria:
●
The skate park playground ramp must include at least one loop. ●
The skate park playground ramp must rest on the ground.
●
The skater must complete a successful run from one side of the ramp to the other without falling off the ramp.
To begin designing your skate park ramp, use the ramp pieces located on the bottom left of the Playground Simulation. Drag and drop sections of ramp onto the screen. You may also select and drag the red dots to extend, move, and/or connect each individual section.
Get your ramp design working well with no friction. Then, increase the friction and explore what happens. Observe how increasing friction changes the height the skater can achieve.
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How did the ramp perform? Was the skater able to complete the ramp successfully? You may open a new tab for each ramp design. You will choose one ramp design for further testing. Record your observations in the data chart below for all three ramps. To insert an image into the chart, go to the bottom right corner of the simulation screen. You will find the screenshot option in the 3-line main menu icon. Insert the image into the chart and resize. Or, you can describe your ramp in words. Be sure to include the height from which the skater begins in your description.
Design
Description and/or
Image
Increasing Friction Observations
Observations for
Overall Performance
1
Thermal energy increasing. Skater goes slower into the loop
As friction increases the chances of the skater completing the loop decreases
2
Thermal energy and total energy
increases. Skater goes slower and doesn’t make the loop on the way back
As the friction increase it
slows down the skater and ramp is not completed
3
No thermal energy at 0 friction and as friction increases so does thermal energy. At 0 friction skater can complete the track as friction increases skater unable to complete
Testing: Select one of your ramp designs for further testing. Set friction to none for all of your trials. During the testing process, you will determine the lowest starting height from which the skater can start to successfully complete the ramp from start to finish. Record the results for all three trials in the data chart below.
I chose ramp design # _2___ for further testing. Test
Starting
Height of
Skater
(meters)
Height of Highest
Potential Energy
(meters)
Height of Highest
Kinetic Energy
(meters)
Outcome: Successful or
Unsuccessful Run?
1
10 m
6.5m
6.5m
Successful run
2
8m
5.5m
5.5
Successful run
3
7m
5m
5m
unsuccessful run
Conclusion: Complete the conclusion questions below. Please write in complete sentences.
1.
What is the lowest starting height from which the skater can start to successfully complete the ramp? Use the data from your chosen ramp design from the “Testing” section of the lab. Be sure
to include if your results support your hypothesis.
The lowest starting point would be 7m.
2.
Explain why the skater must be at a specific height at the start to successfully reach the end of the ramp. Be sure to use the terms "potential energy" and "kinetic energy" in your answer.
The potential energy must be enough to transform into kinetic energy to make it through the loop.
3.
Does your skate park playground ramp design support the law of conservation of energy? Use evidence to explain why or why not. Be sure to include both parts of the law of conservation of energy in your answer. My ramp design supported the law of conservation of energy because energy was not created or destroyed. When set to 0 friction potential energy was transformed into kinetic energy. As I changed the setting to increase the friction, thermal energy was created.