Roller Coaster and Conservation of Energy An object traverses the “hills and val

Question

Roller Coaster and Conservation of Energy

An object traverses the “hills and valleys” of a frictionless roller coaster in the realm of zero air resistance. You will be asked to find measurements and make calculations concerning total mechanical energy and weather it is conserved. Then you will make some changes to the global air resistance for this simulation and answer the questions.
Fill in the charts:

X axis Ball Position/Y axis Ball Position PE KE TE or E
A: - 3.66 m + 3.02 m 0.60 J 0.00 0.60
B: -0 .77 m + 0.27 m 0.05 J 0.55 0.60
C: + 0.56 m + 1.26 m 0.28 J 0.30 0.58
D: + 1.93 m + 2.02 m 0.40 J 0.20 0.60
E: + 3.40 m + 0.89 m 0.18 J 0.43 0.60
F: + 3.82 m + 2.88 m 0.58 J 0.03 0.60

Is Total Energy (TE) conserved in every case (within experimental error)?
If no, where did the missing energy go?

What if the mass of the ball changed from 0.01 kg to 1.00 kg?
Fill in the chart:

X axis Ball Position Y axis Ball Position PE KE TE or E
A:
B:
C:
D:
E:
F:

Is the Total Energy conserved in every case (within experimental error)?
If no, where did the missing energy go?

What if the air resistance on the Ball changed from 0.0 to 0.05 kg/m.s (change the mass back to the original value, 0.01 kg and go to the “world menu”)?
Fill in the chart:
X axis Ball Position Y axis Ball Position PE KE TE or E
A: - 3.66 m + 3.02 m 0.60 J 0.00 0.60
B: - 0.73 m + 0.26 m 0.05 J 0.28 0.33
C: + 0.48 m + 1.22 m 0.24 J 1.93 e – 003 0.25
D:
E:
F:

Is Total Energy conserved in every case (within experimental error)?
If no, where did the missing energy go?

Explanation / Answer

(1) Total nergy is conserved to about ±.02 J.;

(2) All the energies would be 100 time greater, assuming no change in initial height or speed;

(3) Total energy is NOT being conserved. The missing energy has been tranferred to kinetic energy of air molecules of the wind as dissipative heating (of the air).

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