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Work and Energy

The Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem says that the total work,
, performed on a system is related to
the change in kinetic energy of that system:
. . A condition for the Work-Kinetic Energy
theorem to hold is that there are no frictional forces acting within the system itself. In this lab, we will
try to measure the work done on a cart pulled up a ramp and see how well it accounts for the change in
kinetic energy of the cart.
To determine the work done on the cart, we sum up the contributions from the different individual
forces acting on the cart. For any such force F,
, hence in one dimension (such as the x direction),

We will be able to measure the gravitational and tension forces applied to the cart in straightforward
ways. Unfortunately, we have no good way to measure the drag force, so we will just have to see
whether we think it is an important effect.
Goals

In this lab, you will be challenged to study the work done by forces acting on a dynamics cart.
Here are some goals for this activity:

Use a clearly defined coordinate system for your measurements and calculations.

Draw force diagrams for the system.

Break down forces into components when necessary.

Examine the Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem in a hands-on experiment. How close will the
change in kinetic energy actually be to the total amount of work you have observed?

Examine the uncertainties of your measurements; i.e., determine the range of possible values

for your calculated quantities given your estimates of the plausible ranges for your direct
measurements.

Discussing the Pre-Lab Activity

Your TA will introduce the lab equipment and provide some useful pointers about today's experiments.
Afterward, you will have a few minutes to discuss your Pre-Lab questions with your group members and
classmates. The Pre-Lab will be collected before you begin your experiments, and so your recorder
should briefly write down your group's final answers to the questions in case it may be helpful later.

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Warm-Up
Set your track to be approximately horizontal.

Remove the string from the force sensor and hang it somewhere appropriate where
it will not get in the way.
Open the file Work-Energy.cmbl in your course folder.
Recall how to zero the force sensor.

Constant Force No Motion

Place the cart directly against the track end-stop so that it cannot move as you push. Apply a constant
force of 5 N on the sensor by pushing on the hook for a few seconds. As you apply this force, monitor
the sensor output to keep the force as constant as possible.
1. As you maintain this force on the sensor, you are undoubtedly exerting some effort. Are you
performing any mechanical work on the sensor? Explain.
Now take your cart and set it stationary on your lab table.
2. When there are no other forces acting on the cart, what is the magnitude of the friction force?
Can friction alone result in motion of the cart? Why or why not?

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Experimental Investigation:
Examining the Work-Kinetic Energy Theorem
In this experiment well measure the change in kinetic energy of a cart on a ramp with the friction pad
raised so that it does not touch the track. Then well figure out the work done on the cart by all the forces
acting on it (except for air drag).
For good results, incline the track at an angle approximately between 10 and 20 degrees.

A cart is pulled up the inclined track by a string. The string loops around the pulley of a rotary motion sensor,
which is simply used to allow a mass to drop vertically in order to pull the cart upward. An ultrasonic motion
detector at the bottom of the track is pointed at the cart, and can measure the distance traveled by the cart as well
as velocity.
Ensure that the cart moves at least 80 cm along the track during your experiment. Use your apparatus and
sensors to determine the following quantities, and remember that work done by a force may be positive or
negative. You should take at least 2 runs for your data, and if your results are not consistent, you may
need to take more runs than this.
3. Draw a free body diagram showing forces on the cart as it moves up the ramp. Now write the
sum of forces equation for this cart!
Begin with the cart at rest against the lower end-stop. With the sensors taking data, release the cart so
that it moves up the ramp and hits the upper end-stop. Record or calculate the following quantities,
and show your work and reasoning:
4. The force measured by the force sensor.
5. The distance the cart moved along the ramp.

6. The change in height of the cart.

You should not measure the angle of the track because that is an imprecise quantity by comparison to
measuring the distance along the track that the cart travels and the change in height of the cart.
Recall that, for a right triangle, the sine equals the opposite leg over the hypoteneuse. See if you
can use this to simplify your force equation.

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7. The work done on the cart by the string.

8. The work done on the cart by gravity.

9. The work done on the system by the normal force from the track.
10. The change in kinetic energy of the cart from its initial position until just before it hit the upper
stop.
11. The total work done on the cart by gravity, the normal force, and the string.
Analysis

14. What is the difference between your answers to items 10 and 11 above?
15. Is this difference large enough to indicate that there are forces at play that we have not taken into
account? To answer this question, determine the largest and smallest plausible values for the
quantities you measured directly (the height of the ramp, the velocity of the cart, etc.) and use the
extreme values to see how much your answers to 10 and 11 would change. Is it possible that these
uncertainties account for the difference between your measured results and the application of the
Work-Kinetic Energy theorem?
16. If you answered No to question 15, suggest a possible explanation.