Download Conservation of Energy Activity

Conservation of Energy Activity
Physical Science
Name: ____________________________________ Period: _____ Date: _______
Essential Question: How do I analyze and apply the principle of conservation of energy?
MATERIALS: Meter stick, tape measure, golf ball, and calculator
Instructions:
1. Calculate the weight of the golf ball. The mass of the golf ball is 45.0 grams.
2. Drop the golf ball from a certain height, record this height in Table , and
calculate for the gravitational potential energy ( GPE).
3. Measure the bouncing heights of the golf ball and record them on the
succeeding tables.
Table 1: Mass and Weight of the Golf Ball
Mass of golf ball in
gram
Use the digital
weighing scale to
determine the mass
(g) of the golf ball.
Mass of golf ball in
kilogram
Convert gram to
kilogram.
1 kg=1000 g
Weight of golf Ball
in Newton
g= 9.8 m/s/s
Use the equation to
solve for weight
Fg = mg
Height from which
the golf ball was
dropped in meters.
( m)
Solve for the
Gravitational
Potential Energy
(GPE) using the
equation:
GPE= mgh
45.0 g
Table 2: First Trial:
Height at which
the golf ball was
dropped in
meters
Name of student who dropped the golf ball: _________________________
Name of the student who measured the height: ______________________
Name of the student who recorded the data: _________________________
Height of First
Height of Second Height of Third
Height of Fourth
Bounce in
Bounce in
Bounce in
Bounce in
meters
meters
meters
meters
Table 3: Second Trial: Name of student who dropped the golf ball: ________________________
Name of the student who measured the height: ______________________
Name of the student who recorded the data: ________________________
Height at which
the golf ball was
dropped in
meters
Height of First
Bounce in
meters
Height of Second
Bounce in
meters
Height of Third
Bounce in
meters
Height of Fourth
Bounce in
meters
Table 4: Third Trial: Name of student who dropped the golf ball: _________________________
Name of the student who measured the height: _______________________
Name of the student who recorded the data: __________________________
Height at which
Height of First
Height of Second Height of Third
Height of Fourth
the golf ball was
Bounce in
Bounce in
Bounce in
Bounce in
dropped in
meters
meters
meters
meters
meters
4. Calculate and record the average heights of the 3 trials. Simply add all 3 heights of the
Average Height at which the golf ball was dropped divided by 3 and record your average under
the first column of the table below. Do the same with the first, second, third, fourth bounce.
Table 5: Averaging
Name of Student/s who did the averaging: _________________________________________
Average Height
Average Height
Average Height
Average Height
Average Height
at which the golf of First Bounce
of Second
of Third Bounce
of Fourth Bounce
ball was dropped in meters
Bounce in
in meters
in meters
in meters
meters
5. Find the Gravitational Potential Energy ( GPE ) using the equation below.
Equation for Gravitational Potential Energy: GPE=mgh
Where:
GPE is gravitational potential energy =Joules
m is for mass=kg
g is earth accelerationg due to gravity=m/s2
h is height = meter
Table 6: First bounce GPE
Mass of golf ball in kilogram
Copy the mass in kilogram of the golf ball
from table 1
Acceleration
due to
gravity is
m/s2
Average Height
of First Bounce
in meters
Solve for the GPE, in Joules, using
the equation
GPE=mgh
Acceleration
due to
gravity is
m/s2
Average Height
of Second
Bounce in
meters
Solve for the GPE, in Joules, using
the equation
GPE=mgh
Table 7: Second bounce GPE
Mass of golf ball in kilogram
Copy the mass in kilogram of the golf ball
from table 1
Table 8: Third bounce GPE
Mass of golf ball in kilogram
Copy the mass in kilogram of the golf ball
from table 1
Acceleration
due to
gravity is
2
m/s
Average Height
of Third Bounce
in meters
Solve for the GPE, in Joules, using
the equation
GPE=mgh
Acceleration
due to
gravity is
2
m/s
Average Height
of Fourth
Bounce in
meters
Solve for the GPE using the equation
GPE=mgh
Table 9: Fourth bounce GPE
Mass of golf ball in kilogram
Copy the mass in kilogram of the golf ball
from table 1
6. Suppose that the velocity of the golf ball 6.2 m/s. Calculate the Kinetic Energy ( KE ), in
Joules? Use the equation below to find the Golf ball’s kinetic energy.
KE =1/2mv2
Where:
KE is kinetic energy in Joules
m is mass in kilograms
v is velocity in meter per second
Table 10: Kinetic Energy Table
Mass of the golf ball
in kilograms (kg)
You already got this in
Table 1
Velocity of golf ball
free fall in meter per
second (m/s)
velocity = √2gh
Kinetic Energy of the
golf ball
KE =1/2mv2
(Joules or N-m)
GPE value from
Table 1
( Joules or N-m)
6.2 m/s
Clarifying Questions:
1. How is the Gravitational Potential Energy ( GPE ) affected by height? Look at your Table 1 to
answer this question.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
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2. Does the mass of the golf ball affect its Gravitational Potential Energy? Explain. Look at your
Table 1 to answer this question.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
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3. How can you increase the Gravitational Potential Energy of the golf ball? Think!
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. Explain the reason/s for the decreasing bouncing heights of the golf ball? Study your table 1 to
5 to answer this.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. Explain this. Why do some balls bounce higher and longer than other balls? Research and
Think!
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. How do your gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy compare? You can answer this
question by comparing your table 1 and table 10.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
7. How do you explain the Law of Conservation of Energy? Review and Think!
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
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8. How is gravitational potential energy defined? Review and Think!
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
9. How is kinetic energy defined? Review and Think!
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
10. Why do things on earth do not fall at the same rate? Explain.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
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Identifying Units: You can use the choices more than once.
__________1. Joules
__________2. Height
__________3. Mass
__________4. GPE
__________ 5. KE
__________ 6. Weight or Fg
a. kilogram
2
b. kg m/s -m
2
c. m/s
2
d. kg m/s or Newton
e. meter
1. b
2. e
3. a
4. b
5. b
6. d