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Physics 101 (WEB) © 2003 Doney / Northampton Community College

LAB EXERCISE: CONSERVATION OF ENERGY

NAME: Patric Corrocher

EQUIPMENT
• Meter stick • Masking tape
• Long board (~1.0 m+) • Brick (or boxes)
• Steel ball

OBJECTIVE
To investigate the conservation of energy by studying the motion of a ball rolling down an incline
and the stopping distance when it rolls off the incline.

BACKGROUND
Mechanical energy is the product of force and distance moved by the force. When we exert a
force to change the energy of an object, we do work on the object. The value of the work, or the
energy put into the system, is force x distance moved. If we lift an object, we do work on it. We
lift the object against gravity with a force equal to its weight (mg). The work done is stored as
gravitational potential energy (PEg), which is the energy of position and equal to mgy. When the
ball rolls down the incline from this height, all it's gravitational PE is converted into kinetic energy
(KE), the energy of motion.

PROCEDURE
1. As shown in Figure A, divide the ramp (the long board) into 4 equal segments, and mark
them with masking tape. Angle the ramp by placing one brick underneath the one end so
that the ball rolls down the incline and onto the carpet. Make sure there is sufficient room on
the carpet for the ball to roll to a stop. The distance the ball rolls will be the “stopping
distance” as noted in the figure.

Vertical Height Release position from

of ball above bottom of ramp
carpet Stopping Distance

Fig. A

2. Same Incline Angle, Different Vertical Release Heights: Release the ball from the top of
each of the 4 intervals along the ramp, as shown in Figure B. Do this 3 times for each
interval, and record the stopping distance in Table 1. Also measure the vertical height of
each starting point above the carpet and record in the table.

Four Release Heights

Figure B

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Physics 101 (WEB) © 2003 Doney / Northampton Community College

NAME: Patric Corrocher

Table 1. Same Incline Angle, Different Release Heights

Release position of Vertical Height of

Measured Stopping Distance Average
ball measured from the ball above
(m) Stopping
the bottom of carpet
Distance
incline (m) (m)
(m)
Trial #1 Trial #2 Trial #3
.24 m .07 m .35 m .355 m .37 m .358 m
.49 m .11 m .68 m .63 m .70 m .67 m
.74 m .16 m .99 m .97 m 1.04m 1m
.99 m .2 m 1.29 m 1.24 m 1.29 1.27 m

3. Different Incline Angles, Same Vertical Release Height: Now change the angle of the
ramp (by moving the brick forward under each marked interval), and release the ball from the
SAME VERTICAL HEIGHT that you did in the first release of this step (where the brick is
under the end of the board (see Figure C), and record your data in Table 2.

Same Release Heights

above Floor

Figure C

Table 2. Different Incline Angles, Same Release Height

Release position of Vertical Height of

Measured Stopping Distance Average
ball measured from the ball above
(m) Stopping
the bottom of carpet
Distance
incline (m) (m)
(m)
Trial #1 Trial #2 Trial #3
.99 m .2 m .35 m .35 m .37 m .358 m
.74 m .2 m 1.27 m 1.31 m 1.25 m 1.27 m

.49 m .2 m 1.13 m 1.16 m 1.10 m 1.13 m

.24 m .2 m .73 m .75 m .76 m .74 m

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Physics 101 (WEB) © 2003 Doney / Northampton Community College

4. Using the release position, vertical height, and average stopping distance recorded in
Table 1, fill-in Table 3 by calculating the velocity of the ball at the bottom of the ramp, and the
deceleration of the ball as it moves through the stopping distance.

Table 3. Velocity and Deceleration of the Ball

Release position Vertical Height

Velocity of the Average
measured from the of the ball Deceleration of the
ball at bottom of Stopping 2
bottom of incline above the ball (m/s )
incline (m/s) Distance (m)
(m) carpet (m)

.24 m .07 m .989 m/s .358 m 2.041875 m/s^2

.49 m .11 m 1.24 m/s .67 m 1.00010204 m/s^2
.74 m .16 m 1.49 m/s 1m .66222973 m/s^2
.99 m .2 m 1.67 m/s 1.27 m .495 m/s^2

WRITE-UP
• Answer all questions in the space provided on the sheet. Show all work to receive credit.
• Graph the average stopping distance vs. release height (above the carpet) from Table 1, and
attach.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS:

1. Draw a free-body diagram of the ball on the incline. Show and label all forces.

Attached on Blackboard with assignment

2. What relation does your data (and graph) indicate between release height and stopping
distance?

My data and the graph I made indicate that there is a direct relationship between release height and
stopping distance. When the release height increases, so does the stopping distance.

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Physics 101 (WEB) © 2003 Doney / Northampton Community College

3. What conclusion (if any) can you make about the velocity of the ball at the bottom of each
differently sloped ramp?

The velocity increased when the angle of the slope also increased.

4. Using energy, describe what is happening where your release height was identical, but the
ramp's angle was different.

Because the release height stayed the same, the potential energy did not increase or decrease. Because
the potential energy did not change, the conservation forces imply that the kinetic energy did not increase
or decrease either.

5. For each of the four release heights, calculate the velocity of the ball at the bottom of the
incline and enter into Table 3. Use conservation of energy, and assume no friction forces are
acting. Show your work for one of the calculations below. (Note: you may have already done
these calculations in an earlier step).

V final = √(2gh)/1.4
V final = √(2 * 9.8 * .07)/ 1.4
V final = √(1.372/1.4)
V final = √(.98)
V final = .989949 m/s

6. Using the velocity at the bottom of the ramp, calculate the deceleration of the ball between
the bottom of the ramp and where it stops. Use constant acceleration equations. Show your
work for one of the calculations below.

V^2 final = V^2 initial + 2ad

.989^2 = 0^2 + 2 * a * .24
.978121 = .48 * a
2.041875 m/s^2 = a

7. What force(s) are responsible for this deceleration?

Friction is the main force causing the deceleration, but gravity also contributes a small bit to the
deceleration.

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Physics 101 (WEB) © 2003 Doney / Northampton Community College

8. Calculate the total, KE, and PE energies at the top, middle, and bottom of the ramp.

Total Etop = .1677

KEtop = .0697

PEtop = .098
PE = mgh
PE top = .05 x 9.8 x .2
PE middle = .05 x 9.8 x .135 Total Et/2-way = .11239
PE bottom = .05 x 9.8 x .07

KE = .5 x mv^2 KEt/2-way = .04624

KE top =.5 x .05 x 1.67 ^2
KE middle = .5 x .05 x 1.36^2 PEt/2-way = .06615
KE bottom = .5 x .05 x .989^2

Total Ebottom = .05875

Total Energy = PE + KE
KEbottom = .02445

PEbottom = .0343

9. A 10kg object is dropped from 100m. Using conservation of energy, calculate the velocity the
object hits the ground. Check your answer using constant acceleration equations.

Vmax = 44.27 m/s

mgh = 1/2 mV^2

2mgh = mV^2
2gh = V^2
√(2gh) = Vmax 100 / 44.27 = t
2.25886605 sec = t
√(2 * 9.8 * 100) = Vmax
44.27 m/s = Vmax x = vt
100 m = 44.27 m/s * 2.25886605 sec

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