Download File

Name Aly Perna
Ms. Rakowski/Mr. Walsh
Physics
Date 3/23/16
Rubber Band Car Lab Questions
1. Determine the mass of your car in kilograms.
.1137kg
2. Determine the time it takes your car to move 6 meters. Take 3 measurements of the
time then calculate the average. Record your times here.
Trial
Time (s)
1
5.70s
2
4.71s
3
5.56s
Average
5.34s
3. Calculate the average velocity of your car. V=d/t
V=d/t
V=6/5.34
v=1.12m/s
4. Calculate the average kinetic energy of your car. KE=1/2mv2
KE=1/2mv2
KE=1/2(.1137)(1.12) 2
KE=0.0713J
5. By the law of Conservation of Energy, energy cannot be created or destroyed. How did
your car acquire this energy?
My car used a rubber band in order to require energy. The rubber band was connected
to the back axel.
6. How much elastic potential energy did your car have before it started moving?
Our car received the elastic potential energy when we rolled up the rubber band and that
energy was then converted into kinetic energy. Since we know that the number for
kinetic energy is 0.0713J that is the same number for the elastic potential energy.
7. How much work did you do on the car to give it this elastic potential energy?
The work that we did to give it all of its elastic potential energy was when we added on
the rubber band to give it power. We gave our car 0.0713J of energy.
8. How do you think using more rubber bands would affect the energy of the car?
Using more rubber bands will give the car more energy rather than if there was one
because you can wind it up more.
9. How do you think using stiffer rubber bands would affect the energy of the car?
A stiffer rubber band would make the car slower because you can’t wind it up as much.
10. If your car had more mass but the same velocity, how would it affect the energy?
If the mass was a bigger number the energy would increase as the number gets bigger.