Link+to+Lab+Report+VII

=Conservation of Energy on a Roller Coaster= Date of Publication (Date of Most Recent Edits)


 * Participants**: Caitlyn and Stephany
 * Purpose**: The purpose of this lab is to examine how mechanical energy (kinetic and potential energy) can be changed by outside forces.
 * Lab Documents**: [[file:Roller Coaster.doc]]


 * Brief Description of Experiment**:

In this lab we looked at a model roller coaster. The goal was to find the different energies existing between the cart and the track of the roller coaster at different parts of the track. To do this, we used the same dot-and-graph method that we used on other labs, such as the collision lab. This seemed to be affective because the data graphed itself.


 * Data**:



1/2m*v^2 || m*9.8*h || KE+PE || F*d ||
 * Sample Calculations:**
 * kinetic energy || The kinetic energy is measured by multiplying half of the mass by the velocity square.
 * potential energy || The potential energy is measured by the mass multipied by 9.8 and the product of that multipied by the height.
 * mechanical energy || The mechanical energy is measured by adding the kinetic energy and the potential energy.
 * Work || the work is measured by multiplying the force by the distance. Work is also known as the change in kinetic energy.
 * Results:**

In this lab we noticed how as the roller coaster went along the track the potiential energy that it started with was converted into diffferent energies such as kinetic energy, heat energy, and work. We calculated the kinetic and potential energies, and added them together to find the mechanical energy, and we then multiplied the force on the cart by the distance it went, and that showed us the amount of work. Work is the change in energy from start to finish.


 * Lab Questions**:

1. What external forces did you identify as removing energy from the roller coaster system? Into what form of energy do you think the mechanical energy was converted via these forces?

We identified that friction was taking energy away, because it is a force going against the cart on the track, instead of with it. Heat energy was made by the friction between the cart and the track.

2. What external forces did you identify as adding energy to the roller coaster system? From what form of energy do you think the mechanical energy was converted via these forces?

We identified that the chain was adding energy, because it was pulling the cart up the hill. Since the chain was run by a small machine, electrical or nuclear energy was formed.

3.Break the motion of the coaster into 4 pieces as described below. What fraction of the total mechanical energy from the top of the coaster was lost in:
 * 1) The first big drop? Potential energy.
 * 2) The entrance to the loop? Kinetic energy.
 * 3) The exit of the loop? Potential energy.
 * 4) The back turn? Kinetic energy.

4. At what point in the motion of the roller coaster was mechanical energy being dissipated (lost from the system) most quickly with respect to distance traveled? How about with respect to time?

The shortest amount of time the mechanical energy was dissipated most quickly during the first drop. The shortest distance were the mechanical energy was being dissipated was during the loop.


 * Conclusion**:

The purpose of this lab was to find the energy of a roller coaster cart on different parts of the track. We had to try and figure out if the law of conservation of energy was true in this roller coaster situation. It seems as though this experiment did produce valid results, because we were able to find the kinetic and potential energies, and the work in the roller coaster. If this lab was going to be done again, it is possible that our results would have been more accurate if we had used the actual roller coaster model instead of the video. That was, all measurements would be accurate, and the data would match everyone else's, so we would know what went wrong, if anything did.