Copy of Lab03_Simulation and Energy

pdf

School

Drexel University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

170

Subject

Mechanical Engineering

Date

Jan 9, 2024

Type

pdf

Pages

Uploaded by DukeExplorationRhinoceros41

Lab03: Simulation and Energy Student #1: Aryan Dixit Student #2: Instructions: Read and print out this document prior to attending the 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-b asics_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 kinetic energy. The total energy of the skateboarder remains constant . 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) 2M Kinetic Energy Potential Energy 4M Kinetic Energy Potential Energy 6M Kinetic Energy Potential Energy 0M Kinetic Energy Potential Energy 3. What conclusions can you make about how the height of the skater influences the potential energy of the skater? 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 6

The higher the skater is on the ramp, the greater their potential energy. As the skater descends, their potential energy decreases and kinetic energy increases. So, height and potential energy are directly related: higher height equals more potential energy, and lower height equals less potential energy. 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 1= KINETIC IS GREATEST. POTENTIAL IS LOWEST SPEED 2= POTENTIAL IS GREATEST. KINETIC IS LOWEST SPEED 3= POTENTIAL IS GREATEST. KINETIC IS LOWEST 5. What relationships exist between the speed of the skater and the skater’s potential and kinetic energies? The speed of the skater and their potential and kinetic energies are interconnected. As the skater gains speed (moves faster), their kinetic energy increases. Conversely, as the skater loses speed (slows down), their kinetic energy decreases. The skater's potential 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 6

energy, on the other hand, decreases as they move lower and increases as they move higher on the ramp. So, when the skater gains speed, their kinetic energy goes up, and when they change height, their potential energy changes accordingly. 6. Using the parabolic track, adjust the simulation a few different ways so that the total energy bar changes. Use the table below to record your observations. What did you do? The total energy…. (circle your answer) Changing the total mass to small Increases Decreases Changing the total mass to large Increases Decreases Start point at 6m Increases Decreases Start point at 0m 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 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 6

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

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. 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 Student A's claim is mostly correct. When there is friction, some of the skater's kinetic energy is indeed converted into thermal energy. This loss of energy due to friction causes the total energy of the system to decrease. As a result, the skater won't have enough energy to reach her original starting height on the far side of the track. So, Student A's assessment is accurate. 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 6

B Student B's claim is not entirely accurate. While it's true that friction transforms some of the skater's energy into thermal energy, the skater's total energy does not remain the same. In a system with friction, energy is lost as thermal energy, which means the total mechanical energy (sum of kinetic and potential energy) of the skater decreases as she moves along the track. Therefore, the skater won't have enough energy to reach the top of the far side of the track at the same height. So, Student B's claim is not accurate. 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 will go fast enough to make it around the vertical loop? Justify your reasoning with energy equations and evidence from the simulations. To ensure riders make it around the vertical loop despite friction, the design can be improved by increasing the initial height and decreasing the radius of the loop. Increasing the initial height provides the roller coaster with more potential energy, compensating for energy losses due to friction, as per the energy equation (PE_initial = 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 6

KE_bottom_of_loop). Reducing the loop's radius lessens the required centripetal force, minimizing energy loss due to friction, while riders maintain speed. These changes help riders complete the loop successfully. Lab03: Simulation and Energy PHYS 171: Computational Lab for Electricity and Motion C. Love, Drexel University; edited by R. Kratzer, Drexel University Page 6 of 6

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version