Laboratory Group # & Name: GROUP NO.

3
Date Performed: October 6, 2023
Course Code & Section: STEM 12-A
Group Members: Ansano, David
Barlis, Althea
Evangelista, Katricia

Table 1. Cart’s position and mass

Equilibrium position, x𝑒q: 0.241 m

Added Hanging Mass, 𝑚 Force, 𝐹 = 𝑚𝑔 Position, x𝑛 Displacement from

(kg) (N) (m) Equilibrium,
|x𝑛 − x𝑒q|
(m)

0.305 kg 2.99 N 0.236 m 5.00 x 10-3

0.255 kg 2.50 N 0.237 m 4.00 x 10-3

0.205 kg 2.01 N 0.238 m 3.00 x 10-3

0.155 kg 1.52 N 0.239 m 2.00 x 10-3

0.105 kg 1.03 N 0.240 m 1.00 x 10-3

Figure 1. Force vs. Displacement Graph

 Table 2. Distance traveled by the cart (d)
Hypotenuse, ℎ𝑦𝑝: 1.18 m

Initial Position, x1: 0.216 m

Distance height
Final Position, x2 (m)
Height of Angle traveled reached by
Mass by the cart the cart on
Track, (degrees)
(kg) Trial Trial Trial Trial Trial Maximu along the the track,
H (m) 1 2 3 4 5 m
positio track ℎ = 𝑑 sin 𝜃
n, x2𝑚𝑎x (m)
(m)
0.574 m 29.11 ° 0.527 0.253 0.252 0.252 0.254 0.253 0.038 m 0.0184 m
kg m m m m m 0.254 m
0.401 m 19.87 ° 0.527 0.264 0.263 0.264 0.265 0.263 0.049 m 0.0167 m
kg m m m m m 0.265 m
0.234 m 11.43 ° 0.527 0.285 0.286 0.287 0.285 0.287 0.287 m 0.071 m 0.0140 m
kg m m m m m
0.107m 5.20 ° 0.527 0.326 0.328 0.325 0.326 0.328 0.328 m 0.112 m 0.0101 m
kg m m m m m

Table 3. Spring’s Potential Energy and Gravitational Potential Energy

Distance the spring is compressed, x: 0.162 m Calculated Spring Constant, k: 0.002 N/m

Angle, 𝜃 Mass, m (kg) 𝑃𝐸spring = ½ kx2 𝑃𝐸𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣 = 𝑚𝑔ℎ

(degrees) (Nm) % Difference
29.11 ° 0.527 kg 2.62 x 10-5 0.0950 200%

19.87 ° 0.527 kg 2.62 x 10-5 0.0862 200%

11.43 ° 0.527 kg 2.62 x 10-5 0.0723 200%

5.20 ° 0.527 kg 2.62 x 10-5 0.0516 200%

Questions
1. Which of the two potential energies was larger? Is this what you expected? Why?

Observing the results above, we can see that the gravitational potential energy is significantly
larger than the computed spring potential energy. Upon looking at the varying values considered for each
calculation, we can see that the height above the reference point is larger than the value of the
displacement. And as the gravitational PE considers both the change in mass and height, we would
expect that its calculated value will be larger than the spring PE due to its greater value for h in
comparison to x or the displacement. Moreover during the experiment, it should be expected that the
gravitational PE would be larger than the spring PE as the spring was only stretched or compressed very
slightly while the cart was leveled in significant increments of reference points.

2. When the mass of the cart was doubled, did the gravitational potential energy remain the same?
Why or why not?

As the value of the gravitational potential energy is directly proportional to the mass of the
cart, this indicates that when the mass of the cart is increased, the gravitational potential energy will also
increase. With this, it can be concluded that when the mass of the cart is doubled, gravitational PE will
also double if the height remains constant. In accordance with the formula 𝑃𝐸𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑣 = 𝑚𝑔ℎ, the mass
appears as a linear term in the formula, and doubling the mass will result in a proportional increase in
gravitational potential energy.
 CONSERVATION OF MECHANICAL ENERGY

Guide Questions
40% of the Written Report (Group Report) Grade

1. Which of the potential (spring potential energy or gravitational potential energy) energy was
larger? Where did the “lost” energy go? Give at least three answers.

The gravitational energy is more immense compared to the spring potential energy. In relation to
this, the lost energy went to different areas:

a. Due to friction, part of the energy is utilized due to resistance. It is converted into other forms,
such as kinetic energy.
b. Due to air resistance, it can also be transformed into other forms, such as heat. The molecules in
the air form collisions with other objects, and they can form thermal energy.
c. The vibrations and disturbances within the medium serve as a destination for the lost energy.
However, if this was carefully avoided in the experiment, it can be said otherwise that if the
spring attached in the cart is not perfectly elastic, some energy might be lost within the material
of the spring during compression and decompression. This could be due to hysteresis or other
factors affecting the spring's elasticity.

2. What possible sources of error can be seen in the experiment? How can they be minimized?

The possible source of error in the experiment is the personal error due to the measurement made
in the dynamic cart track, the cart’s position, and the distance that the cart has traveled. Although
repeating the trials as made in the table above can minimize the error in this specific experiment,
instrumental errors such as the repetitive use of the cart itself could also arise.

3. What effect did the angle of inclination and the mass have on the gravitational potential energy
of the cart?

As the previous formula tells us that the gravitational potential energy (GPE) of an object
depends on its mass, the acceleration due to gravity and the height above some reference point, this tells
us that the height and mass component of the set-up is directly proportional to the GPE. And because the
angle of inclination of the cart depends on the height of the inclined plane at which it is leveled, it can be
concluded that the gravitational potential energy increases when there is also an increase in the angle of
inclination (and increase in vertical height component). Correspondingly, if the mass of the cart
increases and the other factors remain constant, the gravitational potential energy will also increase
proportionally given their direct relationship.

4. What is the spring constant (N/m) of a spring that stores 30J of elastic potential energy when
compressed by 10.0 cm from its relaxed length?

1 2
The formula used in calculating elastic potential energy is 𝑈𝑠 = 2
𝑘𝑥 where k is the spring
constant and x is the displacement from the equilibrium location, we can use this formula and substitute
the given values above. However, as the problem is requiring us to solve for the value of the spring
2𝑈𝑠
constant, we can derive the original formula and have the following equation: 𝑘 = 2 . With 30J as
𝑥
the elastic potential energy and 0.10 m as the value of x, we now have the following calculation:
2(30𝐽) 60𝐽
𝑘 = 2 → 𝑘 = 2 → 𝑘 = 6000 𝑁/𝑚. Therefore, the spring constant in N/m of the said
0.10 𝑚 0.010𝑚
spring is equal to 6000 N/m.

5. A 3.00-kg block is placed against a spring on a frictionless incline which makes an angle of 45.0
degrees with the horizontal. The block is not attached to the spring. If the spring whose spring
constant is 19.6 N/cm is compressed 20.0 cm and then released:

a. What is the elastic potential energy of the spring?

1 2
Again, The formula used in calculating elastic potential energy is 𝑈𝑠 = 2
𝑘𝑥 where k is the spring
constant and x is the displacement from the equilibrium location, we can use this formula and substitute
the given values above. First, as the spring constant is expressed in 19.6 N/cm, we need to convert it to
N/m which gives us 1960 N/m. The same conversion is also applied for the value of x which is 20.0 cm
which gives us 0.20 m when converted. Substituting these final values in the formula, we have
1 2
𝑈𝑠 = 2
(1960 𝑁/𝑚)(0. 20 𝑚) . Simplifying this equation, the calculated value for the elastic
potential energy of the spring is equal to 39.2 J.

b. What is the change in the gravitational energy of the block as it moves from the release
point to its highest point on the incline?

The change in gravitational potential energy (ΔUg) of the block as it moves from the release point to its
highest point on the incline can be calculated using the formula ∆𝑈𝑔 = 𝑚𝑔ℎ where m is the mass of
the block (given as 3.00 kg), g is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately 9.8 m/s2 ), and h is the
change in height. Although the values of m and g are clearly stated, we can see that we do not have the
value of h yet. With this, we can solve for the value of h using the equation ℎ = 𝑥 𝑠𝑖𝑛θ considering
that the angle of incline is equal to 45 degrees, the value of x or displacement along the incline is equal
to 0.20 m, and the block at hand is moving up the incline. Substituting the values, we get approximately
0.1414 m as the height or h.

From this, we can now go back to the original formula and substitute our final values: ∆𝑈𝑔 = 𝑚𝑔ℎ
2
→ ∆𝑈𝑔 = (3. 00 𝑘𝑔)(9. 8 𝑚/𝑠 )(0. 1414𝑚) → ∆𝑈𝑔 = 4.15 J. Therefore, the change in the
gravitational energy of the block as it moves from the release point to its highest point on the incline is
equal to 4.15 Joules.

c. How far along the incline is the highest point of the block from the release point?

Originally, the potential energy stored in the spring is then converted into gravitational potential energy
​and kinetic energy as the block moves up the incline. However, at the highest point, all the initial
potential energy of the block is converted into gravitational potential energy, and the velocity is
momentarily zero. As it is indicated that there is no friction and concluding that the block originally
starts from rest, the total mechanical energy (sum of potential and kinetic energy) is then conserved and
1 2
given by the formula 𝑈𝑠 = 𝑈𝑔 + 𝐾 → 2
𝑘𝑥 = 𝑚𝑔'ℎ with the value of g translated as g sinθ.

Using this formula and substituting the given values, we now have:
1 2
2
(1960 𝑁/𝑚)(0. 20 𝑚) = (3. 00 𝑘𝑔)(9. 8𝑠𝑖𝑛 45. 0) ℎ . Isolating h, we have ℎ = 2.83. Thus, the
highest point of the block is far along the incline from the release point by 2.83 meters.