Lab03_Simulation and Energy (1)

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Mechanical Engineering

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Feb 20, 2024

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Lab03: Simulation and Energy Student #1: Chen Joseph Student #2: Adam Gladstone Instructions: Read and print out this document prior to attending lab. Follow along with the instructions and answer the questions using complete sentences. Hand in one document per lab group at the end of the lab period. Note: you must be present to gain credit for the lab. A) Using Chrome, go to this website, click on “Intro”, and check ‘on’ all of the boxes in the top right corner. https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/energy-skate-park-basics/latest/energy-skate-park- basics_en.html 1. Drag the skateboarder to different heights on the parabolic ramp to run the simulation. Investigate how the potential and kinetic energies of the skater change as the skater moves from the top of the ramp to the bottom. Fill in the blanks based on your observations: As the skateboard rolls down the ramp it loses potential energy and Gains kinetic energy. The total energy of the skateboarder remains the same . 2. Drag your skater to the 6 m height on the parabolic ramp and run the simulation. Explore how the potential and kinetic energies change as the height of the skateboarder changes. Pause the simulation at different heights and fill in the table based on your observations. Height of skater (m) Which is greater? (circle your answer) 6m Kinetic Energy Potential Energy 4m Kinetic Energy Potential Energy 2m Kinetic Energy Potential Energy 1m Kinetic Energy Potential Energy 3. What conclusions can you make about how the height of the skater influences the Lab03: Simulation and Energy PHYS 171: Computational Lab for Electricity and Motion C. Love, Drexel University; edited by R. Kratzer, Drexel University Page 1 of 5

potential energy of the skater? As the height of the skater increases, the potential energy of the skater increases. 4. Explore how the skater’s speed relates to her potential and kinetic energies. Pause the simulation at the given speeds and fill in the table based on your observations. Speed What is greatest? (Potential or Kinetic Energy) What is the lowest? (Potential or Kinetic Energy) Kinetic Energy Potential Energy Potential Energy Kinetic Energy Potential Energy Kinetic Energy 5. What relationships exist between the speed of the skater and the skater’s potential and kinetic energies? The relationship between the speed of the skater and the skater’s potential and kinetic energies is that as the speed of the skater increases, the kinetic energy rises. As the speed of the skater decreases, the potential energy rises. 6. Using the parabolic track, adjust the simulation a few different ways so that the total Lab03: Simulation and Energy PHYS 171: Computational Lab for Electricity and Motion C. Love, Drexel University; edited by R. Kratzer, Drexel University Page 2 of 5

energy bar changes. Use the table below to record your observations. What did you do? The total energy…. (circle your answer) Reduced the person’s mass Increases Decreases Increased the person’s mass Increases Decreases Dropped the person 10 meters off the ground Increases Decreases Placed the person at the center of the parabolic track Increases Decreases B) A skater begins at a height of 5 m and rolls along the variable track (see diagram) with friction. You can choose the friction simulation at the bottom of the screen and the variable track on the right of the screen. Two students make claims about the changes in the skater’s energy and motion. Student A: As the skater moves along the track, some of her kinetic energy is converted to thermal energy. She will lose energy causing the total energy of the system to decrease. Because the total energy of the system decreases, the skater will not be able to use as much energy to get up the track and will not get back up to her original starting height on the far side of the track. Student B: As the skater moves along the track, friction will transform some of her kinetic and potential energies into thermal energy, but her total energy will remain the same. Since the total energy of the system is still the same, the skater will be able to make it to the top (5 m) of the far side of the track. Lab03: Simulation and Energy PHYS 171: Computational Lab for Electricity and Motion C. Love, Drexel University; edited by R. Kratzer, Drexel University Page 3 of 5

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In the following table, evaluate each student’s claim. Identify the parts that you either agree or disagree with and explain your reasoning. Student I agree with….because…. I disagree with…because… A As the skater moves along the track, some of their kinetic energy is converted to thermal energy due to friction. The assertion that the total energy of the system decreases due to energy loss from friction is not accurate. According to the law of conservation of energy, the total mechanical energy in a closed system will remain constant as long as no external force is acting upon it. B Friction transforms some of the skater's kinetic and potential energies into thermal energy. In a real-world scenario, the total mechanical energy of the system may not remain perfectly constant. Some energy can be lost to non-conservative forces, leading to a gradual decrease in the skater's energy and a subsequent decrease in their ability to reach the same height on the far side of the track. C) An engineering student designed a vertical loop for a roller coaster (see image) but did not factor in the effect of friction when calculating the measurements for the design. Propose at least two changes that could be made to the design to ensure that the riders Lab03: Simulation and Energy PHYS 171: Computational Lab for Electricity and Motion C. Love, Drexel University; edited by R. Kratzer, Drexel University Page 4 of 5

will go fast enough to make it around the vertical loop? Justify your reasoning with energy equations and evidence from the simulations. One change that can be made to this design to ensure that the riders will be fast enough to make it through the vertical loop is to increase the initial height of the roller coaster. It would allow for more potential energy, which can help compensate for the energy loss due to friction. By increasing the initial height, you provide more potential energy, which can be converted into kinetic energy to overcome friction. Another change that can be made to this design is to make the vertical loop smaller. A smaller vertical loop has a smaller radius, which results in the rider needing less energy to complete the loop successfully. With less potential energy required to complete the loop, less energy is available for friction, making it easier for the coaster to maintain the necessary speed. Lab03: Simulation and Energy PHYS 171: Computational Lab for Electricity and Motion C. Love, Drexel University; edited by R. Kratzer, Drexel University Page 5 of 5