Conservation

of Energy Lab

Objectives:
To calculate how much gravitational and kinetic
energy a ball has at different points on a ramp.
Apply the law of conservation of energy in order
to check for energy lost internally.

Materials:
Quarter Pipe on a Desk
Ball Bearing
Meter Stick
Carbon paper
Masking Tape

Initial Questions:
1. Relative to the desk, what form or forms of energy does the ball have at A,
the instant it is released?


2. Relative to the desk, what form or forms of energy does the ball have at B?


3. If there are no frictional forces acting on the ball, how is the change in the
balls potential energy related to the change in the kinetic energy?



Procedure:
1. Measure the mass of the ball bearing and record it in the data table.
2. Measure the heights from the top of the quarter pipe to the desk (A to B)
and the desk to the ground (B to C) and record them in the data table.
3. Use the formula GPE = mgh to calculate the gravitational energy at A
relative to B and record it in the table. Show your work.
2

4. Use the formula h = 1 2 gt to determine the free fall time from B to C and
record it in your data table. Show your work.
5. Place the ball bearing at A and drop it, watch where it lands to locate C.
Place the center of the carbon paper at C and secure it with masking tape.
6. Place the ball bearing at A and drop it, allowing it to land on the carbon
paper. Remove the carbon paper and locate the mark where the ball
landed. Measure the horizontal distance from B to C and record it in the
data table.
7. Re-secure the carbon paper and repeat step 6 twice.
8. Although the ball bearing accelerated in the vertical direction from B to C,
the horizontal velocity was constant. Use the free fall time to calculate the
velocity at B for each trial. Record it in the data table.

Data Tables:

Mass of the Ball:

(kg)
Height of A above B:
(m)
Height of B above C:
(m)
Gravitational Energy
at A, relative to B:
(J)
Free Fall Time from
B to C:
(s)


Horizontal

Linear
Rotational

Trial:
Distance
Velocity
Kinetic
Kinetic
Total Kinetic
from B to C:
at B:
Energy at B: Energy at B: Energy at B:
(m)
(m/s)
(J)
(j)
(J)






1:

Internal
Energy at B:
(J)

2:

3:

Average:


Analysis of Data:
1. The kinetic energy of the linear motion can be found with the formula

KEl = 1 2 mv 2 . Use it to calculate the linear kinetic energy for each trial
and record it in the data table.
2. In addition to linear motion, the ball bearing is also rolling. The kinetic
energy of the rotational motion can be found with the formula

KEr = 1 5 mv 2 . Use it to calculate the rotational kinetic energy for each

trial and record it in the data table.
3. The total kinetic is the sum of the linear and rotational kinetic energy.
Calculate it for each trial and record it in the data table.
4. The difference in energy from A to B is the internal energy. Calculate it
for each trial and record it in the data table.
5. Complete the data table by calculating averages for each category.

Conclusion:
1. How well does your experiment show conservation of energy?





2. How efficient is the ramp? (What percentage of gravitational energy is
converted to kinetic?)





3. Suggest one experimental error (excluding human error) that could lead
to the measurement of velocity being incorrect:





4. Suggest one additional experimental error (excluding human error) that
could lead to the measurement of total kinetic energy being incorrect:





5. Plan an experiment, including a material list, procedure (with diagram),
and data chart, to investigate the energy loss for several bounces of a ball.