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Introduction
If a ball is rolled down a chute, gravitational energy gets translated into movement energy, or
kinetic energy, as well as rotational energy. Rotational energy is the energy that causes the ball
to spin, rolling it down the chute. In addition, a minuet amount of heat engy is also produced.
The experiment will consist of a ball, rolling down a chute, which will launch from the table,
and land on a piece of carbon paper, in order to see how far the ball has travelled. When doing
the experiment, we should keep in mind that ideally, the horizontal velocity after leaving the
chute will be constant, and the vertical acceleration i.e. gravity, will be equal to 9.8 m . The
length travelled where the ball is in contact with the chute will be measured, as well as the hight
of the ball from the drop in te chute, and the high of the ball from the launch of the chute
towards the floor.
Angular Velocity
Apparatus’ needed:
Ball Bearing
Chute
Measuring Stick
Carbon Paper
Blank Paper
Elevated plane (Table)
Pen
String
Tape
Method
The ball bearing we used had a radius of 8mm. We placed the chute on top of the table (elevated
plane, and rolled the ball bearing down the chute in order to get an estimate of where it landed.
At the estimated landing spot, we taped blank paper down on top of Carbon Paper, so that the
spot is marked where the ball would land after each time. We measured the height of the table
to the takeoff of the ball from the floor, as well as the height from the table top towards the
launch of the ball at the top of the chute. Using the string, we measured the run way of the
chute. We also measured the horizontal distance from the takeoff of the ball, to the landing.
Additionally the weight of the Ball was measured at 16.7 g with a 0.05g uncertainty
Finally we rolled the ball down the chute, for a total of 25 times. The marks on paper where all
on nearly the same area, with exception to 3 rolls, that landed approximately 3 cm away from
the landing of the other runs. We excluded these roll’s as anomalies, and only used the closely
related landings.
The reduction in Potential energy caused by the ball rolling down the Chute = 31.1 x 10-3 Joules
The kinetic energy of the ball as it leaves the chute ( ) = 19.8 x 10-3 Joules
The rotational energy of the ball as it leaves the chute ( ) = 7.9 x 10-3 Joules
The heat energy produced from friction (subtraction of kinetic/rotational energy from potential
energy) = 3.4 x 10-3 Joules