Suppose you have 2 equal mass objects both on a gently incline. One is a glider

Question

Suppose you have 2 equal mass objects both on a gently incline. One is a glider on an air track while the other is a ball on a straight slope. The air track and the slope have the same slope angle. You release them at the same time and at the same distance from the bottom of the slope. You note that neither loses energy to friction.

A) Explain what type of energy both objects have just before they are released. Do both objects initially have the same amount of energy?

B)Explain what type of energy both objects have just before they reach the bottom of the slope. Do both have the same amount of energy when they reach the bottom of the slope?

Explanation / Answer

A) initially both will have potential energy only as they are at rest.

as potential energy=mass*g*height

and both of them have same mass, they will have same amount of energy

B) just before they reach bottom, potential energy for both of them will be zero.

while glider will have only linear kinetic energy, the ball will have both linear kinetic energy and rotarional kinetic energy

as there is no energy loss , total mechanical energy will be conserved.

hence both of them will have same total final energy.

and that energy value will be same as initial potential energy=m*g*h.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse S
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.