Experiment 6

Conservation of Energy and the Work-Energy Theorem

In this experiment you will explore the principle of conservation of mechanical

energy. You will see that gravitational energy can be converted into kinetic energy.
Recall that the gravitational potential energy of an object with mass m situated at a height
h from the floor (taken as the zero of energy) is given by U = mgh where g is the
acceleration due to gravity. Also, the kinetic energy of an object with mass m and moving
with a velocity v is given by K = 1/2mv2.

Objectives:

1. Understand the principle of the conservation of energy.

2. Apply the principle to situations involving gravitational potential energy and
kinetic energy.
3. Make theoretical predictions of the final velocity of a cart after it rolls down an
inclined plane using the principle of the conservation of energy.
4. Verify the work-energy theorem
5. Compare your predictions with experimental results.

Hypothesis:

How does the gravitational potential energy of a cart at the top of an inclined plane
compare to the kinetic energy of the cart at the bottom of the inclined plane?

How does the total energy of the cart change as it goes down the inclined plane?

How does the work done on an object relate to the change in its kinetic energy?

Theory:

The mechanical energy E of a system is the sum of its potential energy U and the kinetic
energy K of the objects within it.

In this experiment we will examine what happens to this mechanical energy when only
conservative forces (like the gravitational force) cause energy transfers within the system
i.e. when frictional and drag forces do not act on the objects in the system. Also, we shall
assume that the system is isolated from its environment i.e. no external force from an
object outside the system causes energy changes inside the system.

When a conservative force does work W on an object within the system, one of these
energies increases exactly as much as the other decreases.

1
In an isolated system where only conservative forces cause energy changes, the kinetic
energy and potential energy can change, but their sum, the mechanical energy E of the
system, cannot change.

This result is called the principle of conservation of mechanical energy. We can write this
principle in one more form as follows:

∆E mech = ∆K + ∆U = 0

The principle of conservation of mechanical energy allows us to solve problems that

would be quite difficult to solve using only Newton’s laws.

When the mechanical energy of a system is conserved, we can relate the sum of the
kinetic energy and potential energy at any one instant to that at another instant without
considering the intermediate motion and without finding the work done by forces
involved.

v
h

Figure 1 above shows a cart stationary at the top of a frictionless track at a height h from
the bottom (where we assume the gravitational potential energy is zero). The mechanical
energy of the cart at this point is purely gravitational i.e. E = U = mgh. At the bottom of
the track the cart has acquired a velocity and its gravitational energy is zero. The
mechanical energy of the cart now is purely kinetic. i.e. E = K = ½mv2. At any instant on
the incline, the energy of the cart would be part potential and part kinetic. The total
energy of the cart however would be the same in all three positions.

Work-Energy Theorem

When a body with mass m moves under the influence of a constant external force F
parallel to its displacement d we say that the force has done some work. The amount of
work done is given by:

W = Fd

2
If the force applied is not along the direction of displacement of the object we need to
take that component of the force along the direction of displacement to calculate the work
done the applied force.

In the Figure above, this force would be Fcos(α). Hence the work done in moving the
block a distance d above is given by:
W = Fd cos(α)

The general expression for the work

done by a constant force F that F
causes a displacement s is given by:

W=F.s α

If the applied force is not constant

during the displacement then the
work done by the force needs to be
calculated as follows: d
xf

W = ∫ Fdx
xi

where F is the applied force along the x axis and xi and xf are the initial and final positions
of the mass.

The work-energy theorem states that if a mass m, moves along the x axis under the
influence of an external force F that points along that axis, then the work done by this
force on the mass m as it moves from an initial point xi to a final point xf along the x axis
is equal to the change of the kinetic energy of the mass between the two points. This can
be written mathematically as:

W = Kf – Ki = ∆K

If on a horizontal frictionless track a hanging mass pulls a cart that moves along the track,
then the work done on the cart must equal the change in the kinetic energy of the cart. We
will verify this theorem in the Laboratory.

3
Exercises

1. You drop a 2.0 kg. text book from a height of 10 m from the ground to a friend
who stands on the ground as shown in the Figure. (a) If the potential energy is
taken as being zero at ground level, then what is the potential energy of the book
when you release it? (b) What is the kinetic energy of the book just before your
friend catches it in her outstretched hands (Hand level), which are 1.5 m above
ground level. (c) How fast is the book moving as it is caught?

Book

10 m

Hand level

1.5 m

Solution:

(a) U = mgh = 2 * 9.8 * 10 = 196 J

(b) Potential energy of the book at hand level is mgh = 2*9.8*1.5 = 29.4 J
Since the total energy (196 J) is conserved then the kinetic energy of the book is
196 J – 29.4 J = 166.6 J
(c) K = 166.6 J = ½mv2 ….or v = 12.9 m/s

4
 2. A frictionless roller coaster car tops the first hill in the Figure with speed vo. What
is its speed at (a) point A, (b) point B and (c) point C? (d) How high will it go on
the last hill, which is too high for it to cross?

vo
A

h
h
h/2
C

Solution:

Remember the total mechanical energy of the car is E = U + K = mgh + ½mvo2 and that
this energy is conserved.

(a) vo

(b) E = mg(h/2) + ½mv2 …. Or…… mgh + ½mvo2 = mg(h/2) + ½mv2

2
Solving for v we get… v = gh + vo
(c) E = ½mv2 …. Or…… mgh + ½mvo2 = ½mv2
2
Solving for v we get… v = 2 gh + vo
(d) At the highest point the roller coaster will come to a halt momentarily. At this
height (H) the potential energy will be the same as the kinetic energy it had at point
C. i.e. Use the velocity calculated in part c to find the kinetic energy at point C.
1
m( 2 gh + vo 2 ) 2 = mgH
2
2
v
H =h+ o
2g

5
 3. A 5.0 kg block moves in a straight line on a horizontal frictionless surface under
the influence of a force that varies with position as shown below. How much
work is done by the force as the block moves from the origin to 8.0 m?

15

10

5
Force (N)

-5

-10
0 2 4 6 8 10

Position (m)

Solution:

Since the direction of the applied force is along the displacement of the block the work
done (W = Fd) would just be the area under the curve shown above. We can calculate this
area in four parts corresponding to the four section A,B,C and D as seen in the Figure
above.
Part A: W = 10 * 2 = 20 J
Part B: Here we need the slope of this section and the form of the equation. viz. we need
to know how the force varies with x (i.e. F(x) ) in this region i.e. 2 < x < 4.

F(x)= -5x + 20 2<x<4

Hence the work done in this section is

4
W = ∫ ( −5 x + 20)dx = 10 J
2

Part C: No work is done here as F = 0.

Part D: Here we need the slope of this section and the form of the equation. viz. we need
to know how the force varies with x (i.e. F(x) ) in this region i.e. 6 < x < 8.

5
F ( x) = − x+6 6<x<8
2
Hence the work done in this section is:
8
5
W = ∫ ( − x + 6)dx = −5J
6
2

Hence the total work done is 20 J + 10 J - 5 J = 25 J