Personal Power Stairs Lab

Work, Power and Energy

Regular Physics

Name _____________ hr __

Purpose: Determine work, power and change in potential energy done by physics student climbing a
flight of stairs, identify the factors affecting the power and work, and determine the relationship between Work
and change in Potential Energy.

Materials:

Student, stopwatch, meter stick, stopwatch

Useful equations and conversions:
1 pound = 4.45 Newtons
1 Hp = 746 watts
Work = F * d
Power = Work / t
PE = m* g* h

Procedure:
1. Calculate the weight of the Physics student in Newtons. This is the force the student has to overcome
climbing the stairs. Each student makes two trips at different speeds. The 3rd line can be another
students data.
2. Measure the height of one step. Count the number of steps and multiply to find the vertical height the
student lifts themselves climbing the stairs.
3. Time the students trip up the stairs, from the bottom to the top of the stairs.
4. Complete the data and analysis tables below.

Data and analysis:

Height of one step: ___________ m
SHOW YOUR WORK ON CHART ON NEXT PAGE:
Student
Measured
Vertical
Calculated Power (W)
Weight (N) time (sec) distance d
work (J)
or h (m)

Number of steps: _________steps

Power (Hp)

Students
mass (kg)

PE = PE
at top.
(joules)

Questions:
1. Show your work for the table in the space provided below.
Student Weight (N)
Calculated work (J)
Power (W)
1 lb =4.45 Newtons
W = Fg d
P = W/t

Power (Hp)
1 HP = 746 watts

Students mass (kg)

Fg=mag

PE = PE at top.(J)
PE = mgh

2. What variables affect work?

3. What can a person do to affect their power output while climbing a flight of stairs?

4. Compare the Work and the PE. Why are they similar?

5. Which student output the most power? Why did that student have a greater power output?

6. How could you have increased your power output?

Other questions to consider:

7) If a big person and a small person run up the stairs in the same amount of time, which of them develops the
most power?

8) If a big person and a small person run up the stairs in the same amount of time, which of them does the most
work?

9) Which person exerts the largest force on each of the steps, the big person or the small person?

10) Do you think a bicycle helps you to develop more power? (This is not easy--think about it.)

Conclusion: All in sentences:

Recall briefly what you did:

Explain why:

Results summarized in paragraph form:

Uncertainties:

New ideas: