Physics 201 Fundamentals of Physics I Lab

FALL 2016
Name:
W#:
Section: Time: Date: Engineering/Physics Department
Lab partner:
Lab # 6
II
Transformation of Elastic potential energy to Kinetic Energy

Objectives:

 Study how energy is transformed from elastic potential energy to kinetic energy by means
of an object attached to a spring on a frictionless horizontal surface.

Introduction:
We will study the spring-mass system shown below, the mass m is moving on a frictionless
surface (total mechanical energy is conserved).

When the mass compresses the spring (of

force constant k) a distance x from its natural
length (marked by x=0), and held at rest, the total
mechanical energy of the mass-spring system is
Ei = ½ k x2

When the mass is released from rest from

position x, by the time it reaches the position x=0
(where the spring is relaxed), the total mechanical
energy of the mass-spring system is
Ef = ½ m v2

Conservation of energy implies that:

Ei = Ef
½ k x2 = ½ mv2
Procedure:

1. Calibrate the spring (i.e. determine the spring constant) y adding different masses and
seeing how much the spring compresses.
𝑔
𝑘 = 𝑚. 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒
𝑥
2. For each notch, measure x (how much the spring is compressed). Fire the cart by tapping
the spring with a rigid object. Measure velocity before the cart starts to slow down.
Repeat 3 times and take the average/
3. Calculate the total energy before and after and calculate the % energy loss.

𝐸 = 𝑈𝑠 = ½ 𝑘 𝑥 2 ( 𝑏𝑒𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑒)
𝐸 = 𝐾 = ½ 𝑚 . 𝑣𝑎𝑣𝑔2 (𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟)
4. The loss of energy will be calculated by comparing the elastic potential energy and the
kinetic energy.
𝑈𝑠 − 𝑈𝑘
𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠[%] = | | ∗ 100%
𝑈𝑠
Data
The data of this experiment are shown below.
I) Calibrating the spring

m (g) x (cm) k (N/m)

0 19.6 0
200 19.4 10.1
400 19.0 20.7
600 18.6 31.6
700 18.5 37.1
kavg= 24.9 N/m

II) Studying energy transformations

m= 0.500 Kg

notch x v1 v2 v3 vavg
(cm) (cm/s) (cm/s) (cm/s) (m/s)
1 0.7 6.5 6.6 6.6 0.066
2 1 13.3 13.0 12.9 0.130
3 1 15.9 16.2 15.6 0.159

E = US = ½ k x2 E = K= ½ m vavg2 % energy loss

(J) (J)
0.001 0.001 76.84
0.001 0.004 241.34
0.001 0.006 408.01
Analysis and discussion:
In order to calculate the energy of each of the points of the tables the following calculations
were made that can be observed below:

𝑘1 +𝑘2 +𝑘3 +𝑘4+𝑘5 (0+10.1+20.7+31.6+37.1)

𝑘𝑎𝑣𝑔 = = = 24.9 𝑁/𝑚
5 5

(𝑣1 +𝑣2 +𝑣3 ) (6.6+6.5+6.6)

𝑣𝑎𝑣𝑔 = = = 0.066 𝑚/𝑠
3 3.100

1
𝑈𝑠 = ∗ 24.9 ∗ (0.007)2 = 0.0018 [𝐽]
2
1
𝑈𝑘 = . 0.500 . (0.066)2 = 0.0011[𝐽]
2

𝑈𝑠 −𝐾
𝐸𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑦𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠 = | | . 100% = 76.84 %
𝑈𝑠

Conclusion

In this experiment the elastic energy of the spring was transformed into kinetic energy. The
errors associated with the loss of energy may be due to the fact that the surface on which the mass
was slipping was not sufficiently smooth, the wear of the spring, errors in the measurement and
taking of the values in the laboratory. The inherent presence of a damping coefficient in each of
the materials causes this phenomenon of energy loss to occur and occur. An ideal spring would be
one that was completely elastic, with a completely smooth surface and without the presence of air,
it would be possible to conserve the energy perfectly.
 III
The transformation of gravitational
potential energy to elastic potential energy

Objectives:
Understand how gravitational potential energy can be transformed into elastic potential
energy by means of the free fall of an attached object

Introduction:
Energy is not created or destroyed, it simply transforms. This is the first law of
thermodynamics and with which you can understand different phenomena of nature. In this
experiment we will demonstrate how it is possible to transform the potential energy of an object
into elastic energy. If the transformation is accurate, the following equations must be the same:
𝑈𝑠 = 𝑈𝑔
1/2. 𝑘. 𝑥𝑚2 = 𝑚. 𝑔. 𝑥𝑚

Procedure:
1. From the unscratched position of the spring (which you will use as the reference), drop
the mass m from rest, and measure the maximum stretch distance as it falls xm
2. Repeat procedure for the different masses m shown below

Data:
The following data are presented for the experiment
k = 30 N/m ;

m (g) xm (m) Us (J) Ug (J)

250 0.282 0.40 0.289
335 0.211 0.54 0.621
450 0.150 0.94 1.104
550 0.088 1.46 1.683
650 0.027 2.09 2.378

Analysis and discussion:

Show a sample calculation, run all your calculations on Excel to save computational time
m=250g=0.3 Kg ; x_m=28.2cm
U_s=1/2.k.x_m^2=1/2.(30 N/m).〖(0.282 m)〗^2=0.40 J
U_g=m.g.x_m=0.300 kg. 9.81 m/s^2 .〖(0.25m)〗^2=0.289 J
 The graph corresponding to the gravitational and potential energies of the evaluated mass
is presented below.

Potential Energy vs Gravitational Energy

2.50

2.00

1.50
Us (J)

y = 0.8749x
1.00 R² = 0.9883

0.50

0.00
0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50
Ug (J)

From the previous graph the following experimental equation can be obtained
y=0.8749x
Which means:
Us=0.8749 Ug
If the energy is conserved we will have:

Us=Ug
1/2.k.xm^2=m.g.xm

The slope represents the percent of energy transform which is 87.49% so the energy loss
will be:
𝐸𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠 = 100 − 87.49 % = 12.51 %

Conclusion
It was possible to understand how the gravitational pontifical energy is transformed into
elastic potential energy. The results showed that % of the energy is transmitted and only 12.51%
of the energy is lost. This loss is associated with the friction of the air and the materials are not
completely elastic in nature. In the same way, the theory could be checked and the basic concepts
of energy understood.
 IV
Springs: The Spring Constant
and Hook’s law
Objective:
 Verify Hook's law by studying the elongation of different springs.
 Calculate the elasticity constant for 2 springs.

Introduction:
Hooke's law is based on the proportional relationship that exists between the deformation
of a material and the force that must be applied to do so. The equation that describes this
experiment is:
𝐹 = −𝑘. 𝑥 𝑁/𝑚

Procedure
1. Choose a test spring
2. Place a test mass attached to the spring.
3. Release the dough in the spring.
4. Measure the elongation distance of the spring that is obtained with that mass.
5. Repeat the previous steps with different masses and with another spring.

Data
The data of this experiment are shown below.
Spring I) blue spring

m x F=mg
(kg) (m) (N)
0.250 0.316 2.5
0.450 0.260 4.4
0.550 0.230 5.4
0.650 0.203 6.4
0.750 0.174 7.4
0.850 0.145 8.3

Spring II) yellow spring

m x F=mg
(kg) (m) (N)
0.150 0.315 1.5
0.250 0.276 2.5
0.350 0.239 3.4
0.450 0.205 4.4
0.550 0.166 5.4
0.650 0.127 6.4
Analysis and discussion:
The graphs referring to both springs are shown below, in which the elastic force can be
observed as a function of the distance of elongation.

Spring I) Exp 4 Hook's Law

9.00
8.00
7.00 y = 32.245x
6.00 R² = 0.9955
5.00
F [N]

4.00
3.00
2.00
1.00
0.00
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3
x (m)

From the graph the following equation can be taken:

𝑌 = 32.245 ∗ 𝑥
𝐹 = 32.245 ∗ 𝑥
If this equation is compared to the one found in the books:
𝐹 = 𝑘∗𝑥
𝑘1(𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒) = 32.245 𝑁/𝑚 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙
𝑘1 = 35 𝑁/𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙

the %Error can be calculated as follow:

%𝐸𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = | 35 − 32.245| / |35| ∗ 100% = 7.871 %

 Spring II) Exp 4 Hook's Law
6.00

5.00 y = 19.753x
R² = 0.7168
4.00
F [N]

3.00

2.00

1.00

0.00
0 0.05 0.1 0.15 0.2 0.25 0.3
x (m)

From the graph the following equation can be taken:

𝑌 = 19.753 ∗ 𝑥
𝐹 = 19.753 ∗ 𝑥
If this equation is compared to the one found in the books:
𝐹 = 𝑘. 𝑥
𝑘2 (𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒) = 19.753 𝑁/𝑚 𝐸𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙
𝑘2 = 25 𝑁/𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙
the %Error can be calculated as follow:
%𝐸𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 = | 25 − 19.753| / |25| ∗ 100% = 20.988%

Conclusion
In this experiment it was possible to find, by means of Hooke's Law, the elasticity constant
of 2 springs with which it was available in the laboratory. The proportional relation that indicates
the presence of an equation of a straight line was demonstrated. The slope of these lines represents
said constants and to which the percentage error could be obtained, which was quite low.