Jimmy Laureano

Physics 123-11

Lab 7 Conservation of Energy

Introduction

Spring potential energy and kinetic potential energy will be calculated and observed.
Spring potential energy and kinetic energy are

(eq. 1)

(eq. 2)
Where k is the spring constant, x is the compression of the spring, is the mass, and is the
velocity. Another experiment will be done to calculate the spring constant.
(eq. 3)

(eq. 4)
Gravitational potential energy will be compared to spring potential energy. The equation for
gravitational potential energy is:
(eq. 5)
Here m is the mass, g is gravity (9.8 m/s), and y is the height.

Experimental Methods

First the spring constant had to be calculated in order to compare kinetic and gravitational
energies. One spring was selected, 3 different configurations with different compressions were
done and each configuration was done 3 times, for a total of 9 trials. The Data Studio Software
and the force sensor was used to pull the spring to the selected compression and the force was
recorded 3 different times. Then using eq. 4, the spring constant was found by graphing
compression vs. force.

For the second experiment, the spring potential energy was calculated and compared to the
kinetic energy. Using the spring constant found in the first part and recording the different
compressions, the spring potential can be found using eq.1. X was converted from cm to m.
Then Kinetic energy was calculated using the velocities recorded using the photogate and the
flag on the cart (eq. 2).

For the third experiment, spring potential energy and gravitational potential energy were
calculated and compared. To find spring potential, k was used from the previous experiment
and the compressions were used. Then gravitational potential was calculated (eq. 5). Blocks
were placed underneath the left side of the track, each having a different height and the track
made an angle with the table (). Since the track had a measuring strip on it, the initial position
and the final position (where it stops and slides back down) were recorded. Knowing the
distance travelled and the angle with the horizontal, then the height could be calculated and
used in eq.5


Jimmy Laureano
Physics 123-11

Results and Discussion
Table 1- Spring constant data
Experiment 1
Configuration Distance (cm) Distance (m) F (N) Average F
1
1.765 0.01765
10.95
11.49666667 1 11.69
1 11.85
2
3.185 0.03185
16.08
15.94966667 2 16.569
2 15.200
3
5.13 0.0513
28.209
26.962 3 27.897
3 24.78


The slope of the best fit line represents the spring constant. Slope is

where y is the force and

x is the compression. This is the same as eq.4 where

.
Table 2 and 3
Experiment 2
Mass added
(g)
Mass of cart
(g)
Total Mass
(kg)
Compression
(cm)
Compression
(m) Speed (m/s) KE= eq.2
80 201.3 0.2813 2.88 0.0288 0.8644 0.1051
80 201.3 0.2813 2.88 0.0288 0.9019 0.1144
80 201.3 0.2813 2.88 0.0288 0.8345 0.0979
This 1 configuration shows and example of what was done to calculate KE for 18 trials.
y = 465.95x + 2.4802
R = 0.9776
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06
F
o
r
c
e

(
N
)

Compression (m)
Spring Constant(n/m)
Average F
Linear (Average F)
The spring
constant
is 466 n/m

Jimmy Laureano
Physics 123-11

Here the KE was averaged
for each different
configuration. Spring
potential was using the spring
constant found from the slope
of the graph. Here it is clear
that the potential energy is
greater than the kinetic
energy and that the heavier
mass had a grater kinetic
energy.

Conclusion

Reference

Ohanian, H.,and Markert, J. (2007). Physics for Engineers and Scientists (3
rd
ed.). Norton
Total Mass (kg) Compression (m) KE= eq.2 K average (J) U=eq.1
0.2813 0.0288 0.10509
0.2813 0.0288 0.11441
0.2813 0.0288 0.09795
0.3613 0.0288 0.10792
0.3613 0.0288 0.10926
0.3613 0.0288 0.10390
0.2813 0.0466 0.26685
0.2813 0.0466 0.24085
0.2813 0.0466 0.29502
0.3613 0.0466 0.29588
0.3613 0.0466 0.29478
0.3613 0.0466 0.28589
0.2813 0.05155 0.34510
0.2813 0.05155 0.36612
0.2813 0.05155 0.39777
0.3613 0.05155 0.40036
0.3613 0.05155 0.38952
0.3613 0.05155 0.39053
0.36966
0.6178
0.39347
0.10582
0.1928
0.10703
0.26757
0.5049
0.29218