Aim: How can we solve problems dealing

with the Law of Conservation of Energy?

HW #9
HW #10 due tomorrow Answer Key

Do Now:
A 10 kg object free falls off the top of a 100 m tall building. At
the top, calculate its potential and kinetic energies.

U = mgh K = ½mv2
U = (10 kg)(9.8 m/s2)(100 m) K = ½(10 kg)(0 m/s)2
U = 9,800 J K=0J
Conservation of Energy
• The total energy (ET) of an
object or system is constant
• Energy cannot be created or
destroyed
• Energy can be changed from
one form to another.
 A Dropped Sphere
• What energy does it have when held off
the ground?
Potential Energy
• What happens to this PE as the ball
drops?
It becomes smaller and smaller
• Is the energy just disappearing?
No!! It is being converted into KE
(the object is speeding up)
 At the top:
PE = 9,800 J (PE = mgh)
m = 10 kg
KE = 0 J (at rest)
ET = 9,800 J (PE + KE = ET)

If PE = 4,900 J, what is KE?

KE = 4,900 J
100 m
PE = 3,000 J, what is KE?
KE = 6,800 J

At the bottom:
PE = 0 J (no height)
ET = 9,800 J (total energy is
constant!)
KE = 9,800 J (PE + KE = ET)
 No calculator
**1 minute**

1. The figure above shows a rough semicircular track whose ends

are at a vertical height h. A block placed at point P at one end
of the track is released from rest and slides past the bottom of
the track. Which of the following is true of the height to which
the block rises on the other side of the track?
(A) It is equal to h/2
(B) It is equal to h/4 If no energy were lost, the answer would be (d)
(C) It is equal to h/2
(D) It is equal to h
(E) It is between zero and h; the exact height depends on how
much energy is lost to friction.
A ball swings freely back and No calculator
forth in an arc from point I to **2 minutes**
point IV, as shown at the right.
Point II is the lowest point in the
path, III is located 0.5 meter
above II, and IV is 1 meter above
II. Air resistance is negligible.
2. If the potential energy is zero at point II, where will the kinetic and potential
energies of the ball be equal?
(A) At point II
(B) At some point between II and III ΔK = ΔU
(C) At point III
(D) At some point between III and IV ½ mv2 = mgh
(E) At point IV
½ v = gh2

3. The speed of the ball at point II is most nearly v  2 gh

(A) 3.0 m/s
(B) 4.5 m/s v  2(10m / s 2 )(1m)
(C) 9.8 m/s
(D) 14 m/s
v  4.5m / s
(E) 20 m/s
 No calculator
A rock of mass m is thrown
horizontally off a building **1 minute 15 sec**
from a height h, as shown
above. The speed of the
rock as it leaves the
thrower’s hand at the edge of
the building is v0.

4. What is the kinetic energy of the rock just before it hits the
ground? Horizontal Vertical
K  U K  1 / 2mvo
2
(A)mgh
(B)½ mv02 K  mgh
(C)½ mv02 – mgh K  x2  y2
(D)½ mv02 + mgh K  (mgh) 2  (1 / 2mv0 ) 2
2

(E)mgh - ½ mv02 2
K  mgh  1 / 2mv0
 Calculator
5. A child of mass M holds onto
**8 minutes** a rope and steps off a platform.
Assume that the initial speed of
the child is zero. The rope has
length R and negligible mass.
The initial angle of the rope with
the vertical is o, as shown in the
drawing above.
a. Using the principle of conservation of energy, develop an
expression for the speed of the child at the lowest point in the
swing in terms of g, R, and cos o
K  U 1 / 2mv 2  mgR (1  cos  0 )
1 / 2mv 2  mgh 1 / 2v 2  gR(1  cos  0 )
1 / 2mv 2  mg ( R  R cos  0 ) v  2 gR(1  cos  0 )
b. The tension in the rope at the lowest point is 1.5 times the
weight of the child. Determine the value of cos o.
mv 2
Fc 
R
mv 2
T  mg 
R
m( 2 gR (1  cos  0 ) ) 2
1.5mg  mg 
R
0.5mg  2mg (1  cos  0 )
0.5  2(1  cos  0 )
0.25  1  cos  0
cos  0  0.75
6. Two 10‑kilogram boxes are connected
by a massless string that passes over a
massless frictionless pulley as shown. The
boxes remain at rest, with the one on the
right hanging vertically and the one on the
left 2.0 meters from the bottom of an
inclined plane that makes an angle of 60°
with the horizontal. The coefficients of
kinetic friction and static friction between
the Ieft‑hand box and the plane are 0.15
and 0.30, respectively. You may use g =
10 m/s2, sin 60° = 0.87, and cos 60° = 0.50.
a. What is the tension T in the string?
ΣF = 0
T – mg = 0
T = mg
T = (10 kg)(10 m/s2) Calculator
T = 100 N **15 minutes**
b. On the diagram below, draw and label all the forces acting on
the box that is on the plane.

T
N

Ff mg
c. Determine the magnitude of the frictional force acting on the
box on the plane.

ΣF = 0
T – Ff – mgsinθ = 0
Ff = T – mgsinθ
Ff = 100 N – (10 kg)(10 m/s2)(0.87)
Ff = 13 N
The string is then cut and the left‑hand box slides down the
inclined plane.
d. Determine the amount of mechanical energy that is converted
into thermal energy during the slide to the bottom.
Wf = Ffx
Wf = μkNx
Wf = μkmgcosθx
Wf = (0.15)(10 kg)(10 m/s2)(0.5)(2 m)
Wf = 15 J

e. Determine the kinetic energy of the left‑hand box when it

reaches the bottom of the plane.
U = K + Wf
K = U – Wf
K = mgh – 15 J
K = mgxsin60° - 15 J
K = (10 kg)(10 m/s2)(2 m)(0.87) – 15 J
7. A 5.0‑kilogram monkey hangs initially at rest from two vines, A
and B. as shown above. Each of the vines has length 10 meters
and negligible mass.
a. On the figure below, draw and label all of the forces acting on
the monkey. (Do not resolve the forces into components, but do
indicate their directions.)
TA TB

Calculator
mg **10 minutes**
b. Determine the
tension in vine B
while the monkey is
at rest.
The monkey releases vine A and swings on vine B. Neglect air
resistance.
c. Determine the speed of the monkey as it passes through the
lowest point of its first swing.

1 / 2mv  mgh
2

v  2 gh
v  2 g (10m  10m cos 30 

v  2(9.8m / s )(1.34m)
2

v  5.1m / s
d. Determine the tension in vine B as the monkey
passes through the lowest point of its first swing.
Fc  mac
mv 2
Fc 
r
mv 2
TB  mg 
r
mv 2
TB   mg
r
 v2 
TB  m  g 
 r 
 (5.1m / s ) 2 2

TB  (5kg )  9.8m / s 
 10m 
TB  62 N