Gravitational Potential Energy Lab Report

a roller coaster is moved only by the forces of inertia and gravity. The only exertion of energy

In this lab, we applied the concepts of velocity,force, acceleration, time, and distance in order to calculate which trial had a higher velocity. We also learned the relationship between each of the factors and how altering one plays a role in the other factors. For example, if we were to apply more force the velocity of the cart would increase, as well as the amount of time it took for the cart to go down the

To find out the total height we could add the height of all of the platforms. However, the total height can also be determined by a formula since the increase in height from platform to platform is the same. What I saw was that there are pairs within the heights of the first platform and last platform that when added result to the same number. For example: If there are 5 platforms in total, the first platform is 4 feet and the increase in height is 2 feet, the height of the platforms in order are: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12.

Using a measuring tape on the wall each member of the lab group separately stood with either side against the tape and extended the arm beside the wall as high as possible. This height was recorded in centimeters. Next each lab member separately applied chalk to their fingertips, crouched down beside the tape on the wall, and jumped as high as they could while hitting the measuring tape at their highest point. This measurement was again recorded in centimeters. Then the height the lab member’s arm extended while standing was subtracted from the height when they jumped. This number denoted the vertical height jumped. For the jump height measurements a scatter plot was constructed. In order to do this, the data was again entered into excel, highlighted, insert chart and the first scatter plot choice was chosen. It was then that it was necessary to edit our axes and other parts of the graph. The x-axis was right-clicked and format axis was selected and fixed was selected and 20.0 was entered into the blank. Following this, a trend line was added to the graph by right clicking on a data point. A drop down popped up, and from there add trend line was selected from the choices.

4. Place the mass on the bottom of a ramp and attach the loop of string to the

About half way up the mountain the speed and momentum will increase as you approach the top of the hill. Then out of nowhere a large amount of friction will begin to slow your cart down just before you drop inside Storm Mountain. Finally you will reach the very top of the hill that takes you into the mountain where potential energy is at its greatest. Suddenly you will fall into a gaping hole of the mountain and rush down a massive hill while you experience a state of freefall, velocity and terminal velocity. All the energy from the first hill will then shoot you up a second, slightly smaller hill while you will experience high amounts of kinetic energy. The ride will slowly decrease in speed while you wrap around a center point. As you go around the two loops you will experience both centripetal acceleration and centripetal force. The ride will then begin to pick up speed and acceleration and go around a slight bend when a sudden break stops the movement of the cart so you can hear the sounds of booming thunder and crashing lighting. That is when Newton's 1st law would comes into play as the sudden breaks stop the

The aim of the experiment is to examine how the acceleration of the car differs when the angle of inclination of the ramp is amplified and to record and analyse findings.

These 2 forces are potential and kinetic energy. The potential energy is what is being made when it is going up the hills because gravity could take over and pull it down at any moment and kinetic energy is the energy that is created when going down the hill. The potential energy flows into kinetic when the rollercoaster begins to fall down the hill then goes back up and so on. These 2 things are in a cycle until the end of the coaster because when one is not in use the other is.

Then as the coaster begins its decent down the first hill, the energy is converted back into kinetic energy as the train is pulled toward the Earth by gravity. Gravity is the traditional source of power for roller coasters that accelerates the train as it goes on its hilly, twisty journey.3 Gravity is a unit of acceleration, that is always present, that causes free-falling objects on Earth to change their speed at a rate of approximately 10 m/s (32ft/s) every second.1 So, as the train goes down the hills of the track it has a positive acceleration giving it the necessary potential energy to “climb” the next hill, make a turn, or travel through a loop.

4. Experiment 2: Cart loaded with magnets travelling parallel to conductor. Experiment 2 will serve to provide an insight into the nature of the braking force, such as whether it varies with time or is constant throughout. It will serve to also answer the question, how does initial velocity affect acceleration? My hypothesis is that as the cart is moved farther and farther away from the aluminum strip, it will reach a higher peak velocity, and the magnitude of the braking effect will also increase as a

The car will change its speed when I change the incline of the ramp. I am changing the incline of the ramp to see and how the speed changes.

This model can be used to treat the roller coaster design as having only one height at a given time. The speed of a roller coaster that rolls down the second hill is very similar to the object that falls vertically the same height. The front positioned to the top of a loop, however, the back positioned at the bottom of a loop. Therefore, it does require taking more time to build up that speed and then the body begins to drop at a faster pace; therefore it reaches to the ground sooner. Since all parts of a roller coaster are connected, they all each have given the same velocity at any given time.

A rightward moving rider gradually becomes an upward moving rider, then a leftward moving rider, then a downward moving rider, before finally becoming a rightward-moving rider once again. There is a continuing change in the direction of the rider as he/she will moves through the clothoid loop. A change in direction is one thing of an accelerating object. The rider also changes speed. As the rider begins to climb upward the loop, he/she begins to slow down. What we talked about suggests that an increase in height results in a decrease in kinetic energy and speed and a decrease in height results in an increase in kinetic energy and speed. So the rider experiences the greatest speeds at the bottom of the loop. The change in speed as the rider moves through the loop is the second part of acceleration which the riders experiences. A rider who moves through a circular loop with a constant speed, the acceleration is centripetal and towards the center of the circle. In this case of a rider moving through a noncircular loop at non-constant speed, the acceleration of the rider has two components. There is a component which is directed towards the center of the circle (ac) and relates itself to the direction change and the other component is directed tangent (at) to the track and relates itself to the car's change in speed. This tangential component would be

Newton’s 1st Law: The cart is at rest and will remain at rest until a force is applied.

Theoretically if there were no resistant (e.g air resistance, friction ETC) a down falling body on Earth would accelerate at the rate of 9.8 m/s^2, this is known as the gravitational acceleration. Theoretically the force of the downfall and acceleration for 500 gram would be 9.8 m/s^2 x 0.5 kg = 4.9 N. However in this prac as the force is greatly reduced by the resistant forces such as friction between the wheel and the table or the air resistant faced by the trolley and weight, the total amount of force was reduced.