PHYSICS 210L Grade:

Exp. VII Conservation of Energy

Object:

In these experiments we were conducting various experiments to test the theory

of the conservation of energy. In the first experiment, we saw how the work done
by the weights was all stored in the rubber band as elastic potential energy. In
the second experiment we saw how elastic potential energy stored in the rubber
band, released all this energy into the glider as kinetic energy, hence the glider
gained velocity. In the third experiment we were testing to find out what the
force of friction was on the track, and were able to see that it was approximately
constant. Finally in the fourth experiment, we saw how inelastic collision
happened. If it were to be elastic collision then all the energy should have been
transported from glider one to glider two. However in this case, not all the
kinetic energy was conserved.

A-1. Elastic potential energy of a rubber band:

Weights N
1.962 N 1.472 N 0.981 N 0.491 N 0.1962 N 0.0981 N
Displacement of
0.025 m 0.019 m 0.013 m 0.007m 0.0025m 0.002 m
glider in m

Plot F (x) against x

Work done to stretch the rubber band: 0.0210 J
Elastic potential energy of the stretched band: 0.0210 J

A-2. Work-Energy:
Mass of glider 0.18325 kg
Length of glider 0.129 m
Trial I II III IV

reading of timer
0.308 s 0.305 s 0.305 s 0.309 s
speed of glider
0.419 m/s 0.423 m/s 0.423 m/s 0.417 m/s

Kinetic energy of glider: 0.0162 J

This result is close to the answer in part A, and the percentage difference is
30.0%, which is alright.

A-3. Friction on the Track:

Location of glider I II III IV

speed of glider in m/s 0.402 m/s 0.397 m/s 0.391 m/s 0.381 m/s
Estimate the force if friction: 0.00125 N

Comment:

The force of friction between each distance is constant in the first two while it is
approximately equal in the last distance, compared to the others. Therefore we
have been able to record accurate readings. The velocities are decreasing
gradually because of the force of friction, and if there were no friction then the
glider MUST have the same velocity at every instant on the track.

Part B:

B. Inelastic Collision:
Glider I. m1 = 183.25 g
Glider II. m2 = 283.05 g
Trial 1 2 3 4

V1i (m/s)
0.268 m/s 0.253 m/s 0.261 m/s 0.271 m/s

0.117 m/s 0.118 m/s 0.129 m/s 0.111 m/s

V(1 + 2) (m/s)

V(1 + 2) from 0.105 m/s 0.0994 m/s 0.103 m/s 0.106 m/s
(equation 4)

Comments your results?

Our results are precise. The average experimental velocity is 0.11875 m/s, while
the average theoretical velocity is 0.10335 m/s. This means that we had an error
of 15 %, which is not too much, making our results sufficiently accurate. The
reason for this error, is because there is still friction on the track, the track is not
100% balanced and because the gliders themselves could have created some
error in the readings, by being slightly deformed.