Lab 6 Work & Conservation of Energy PHY250L
Student Name:
Access Code (located on the underside of the lid of your lab kit):
Lab Report Format Expectations
Utilize college level grammar and formaṄng when answering text based questions.
Report all equations in a proper mathematical format, with the correct signs and symbols.
Submissions with incomplete or improperly formatted responses may be rejected.
Pre-Lab Questions
1. In this lab, you will conduct three experiments that will demonstrate the concepts of work,
potential energy and kinetic energy. Briefly explain those three concepts and their mathematical
definitions.
Work is the energy transferred by a force causing displacement, defined mathematically as
W=Fdcos(θ), where F is force, d is displacement, and θ is the angle between them. Potential
energy is stored energy due to an object's position or state, with gravitational potential energy
defined as PE=mgh, where m is mass, g is gravity, and h is height. Kinetic energy is the energy of
motion, defined as KE=(1/2)mv^2, where m is mass and v is speed.
,Lab 6 Work & Conservation of Energy PHY250L
2. Both kinetic and potential energy are part of the thrill of roller coasters. Refer to Figure 6,
below.
Figure 6: Different points in a roller coaster’s
a. Describe the kinetic and potential energy at each point of the roller coaster path.
Highest points: maximum potential, minimum kinetic. Lowest points: maximum kinetic,
minimum potential. Midpoints: a mix of both
b. What happens to the rollercoaster’s kinetic energy between Points B and C?
What happens to its potential energy between these points?
Kinetic energy decreases, potential energy increases as it goes up.
c. Why is it important for Point A to be higher than Point C?
So the coaster has enough energy to reach all parts of the track.
d. What causes the roller coaster train to lose energy over its trip?
Friction and air resistance.
, Lab 6 Work & Conservation of Energy PHY250L
EXPERIMENT 1: WORK DONE BY A SPRING
Introduction Questions
1. In Experiment 1, you will stretch a spring at varying distances and calculate the work required to
do so. The force associated with compressing or stretching a spring is variable and is quantified
by F = kx, where k is the spring constant and x is the displacement.
Given the graph of the force versus displacement graph for a spring in Figure 5, derive an
equation for the amount of work done by the spring. Do not simply state a final equation. Show
the mathematical steps you will take to derive this equation. You must show all work for credit.
The area under the force vs. displaceent graph is the work done.For a spring, W=12kx2W =
\frac{1}{2} k x^2W=21kx2, where kkk is the spring constant and xxx is the displacement.
Figure 5: Force versus displacement of a spring.
Student Name:
Access Code (located on the underside of the lid of your lab kit):
Lab Report Format Expectations
Utilize college level grammar and formaṄng when answering text based questions.
Report all equations in a proper mathematical format, with the correct signs and symbols.
Submissions with incomplete or improperly formatted responses may be rejected.
Pre-Lab Questions
1. In this lab, you will conduct three experiments that will demonstrate the concepts of work,
potential energy and kinetic energy. Briefly explain those three concepts and their mathematical
definitions.
Work is the energy transferred by a force causing displacement, defined mathematically as
W=Fdcos(θ), where F is force, d is displacement, and θ is the angle between them. Potential
energy is stored energy due to an object's position or state, with gravitational potential energy
defined as PE=mgh, where m is mass, g is gravity, and h is height. Kinetic energy is the energy of
motion, defined as KE=(1/2)mv^2, where m is mass and v is speed.
,Lab 6 Work & Conservation of Energy PHY250L
2. Both kinetic and potential energy are part of the thrill of roller coasters. Refer to Figure 6,
below.
Figure 6: Different points in a roller coaster’s
a. Describe the kinetic and potential energy at each point of the roller coaster path.
Highest points: maximum potential, minimum kinetic. Lowest points: maximum kinetic,
minimum potential. Midpoints: a mix of both
b. What happens to the rollercoaster’s kinetic energy between Points B and C?
What happens to its potential energy between these points?
Kinetic energy decreases, potential energy increases as it goes up.
c. Why is it important for Point A to be higher than Point C?
So the coaster has enough energy to reach all parts of the track.
d. What causes the roller coaster train to lose energy over its trip?
Friction and air resistance.
, Lab 6 Work & Conservation of Energy PHY250L
EXPERIMENT 1: WORK DONE BY A SPRING
Introduction Questions
1. In Experiment 1, you will stretch a spring at varying distances and calculate the work required to
do so. The force associated with compressing or stretching a spring is variable and is quantified
by F = kx, where k is the spring constant and x is the displacement.
Given the graph of the force versus displacement graph for a spring in Figure 5, derive an
equation for the amount of work done by the spring. Do not simply state a final equation. Show
the mathematical steps you will take to derive this equation. You must show all work for credit.
The area under the force vs. displaceent graph is the work done.For a spring, W=12kx2W =
\frac{1}{2} k x^2W=21kx2, where kkk is the spring constant and xxx is the displacement.
Figure 5: Force versus displacement of a spring.
