PHYSICS 10-1 CONSERVATION OF MECHANICAL ENERGY

Name: Kyle Jaikaran Period: Period 4 Date: 12/18/19

Mechanical Energy, ME: the sum of kinetic energy and all forms of potential energy
ME = KE + PEg + PEs
Where KE = ½ mv2, PEg = mgh, PEs = ½ kx2
Isolated system: A system that does not interact with its surroundings, that is,
*there is no matter nor energy exchange between the system and its surroundings
*its total energy and mass stay constant and net external force is zero.

In an isolated system

1 1
m v 2i + mgh i= m v 2f + mgh f
2 2

When a spring is involved

1 1 1 1
m v 2i + mgh i+ k x 2i = m v 2f +mg hf + k x 2f
2 2 2 2

In physics, if you know the kinetic and potential energies an object has, then you can calculate the mechanical energy of the
object. Imagine a roller coaster car traveling along a straight stretch of track. The car has one of the mechanical energy,
kinetic energy, because of its motion. Imagine that the track has a hill and that the car has just enough energy to get to the top
before it descends the other side, back down to a straight and level track (see the figure). Let’s set the reference level at the
bottom of the hill. What happens?

Kinetic energy converted to potential energy and then back to kinetic energy.

The roller coaster car’s total mechanical energy, which is the sum of its kinetic and potential energies, remains constant at all
points of the track (ignoring frictional forces). When the only work done on an object is performed by conservative forces, its
mechanical energy remains constant, whatever motions it may undergo.

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PHYSICS 10-1 CONSERVATION OF MECHANICAL ENERGY

The object included in this isolated system: roller coaster cart and passengers. Track, and the earth

1 1
E K = mv 2 E p , grav =mgh E p , spring = k x 2
2 2
In an isolated system:
ME i=ME f
1 1
m v 2i + mg h i= m v 2f + mgh f
2 2

When a spring is involved

1. A box slides down a frictionless

incline as shown below. THE
MASS IS 1 KG
(a) Applying conservation of
mechanical energy,
determine the energies and
fill in the blanks.

(b) Applying EK=1/2 mv2 to determine the speed of the box at the bottom of the incline.

The speed of the box at

the bottom of the incline
is 12.2 m/s

(c) Applying EP=mgh to determine the initial height of the box.

The initial height of

the box is 7.7 m

2. All the frictionless ramps are 5-m high. We know that the gain of E K of the block at the bottom of the
ramp will be equal to the loss of EP.
Find the speed of the block at ground level in each case. Let g = 10 m/s 2

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PHYSICS 10-1 CONSERVATION OF MECHANICAL ENERGY

Case 1: speed = 10 m/s; Case 2: speed = 10 m/s; Case 3: speed = 10 m/s

3. A big metal bead slides due to gravity along an upright friction-free wire. It starts from rest at the top of
the wire as shown in the sketch. How fast is it travelling as it passes
Point B?
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Point D?
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Point E?
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At which point does it have the maximum speed? Why?

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4. An array of windmill (rows of wind-powered generators) are used in various wndy locations to generate
electric power. Does the power generated affect the speed of the wind? Would the locations
behind the “windmills” be windier if they weren’t there? Discuss this in terms of energy
conservation with your table partners.
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5. A pendulum is pulled to the left and released as shown below

(a) Draw a line to indicate the reference level.

(b) Determine the KE or/and PE at the three positions applying conservation of
Mechanical energy
(KE + PE)i = (KE+PE)f. Show work.
(c) Visit the website https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/pendulum-
lab/latest/pendulum-lab_en.html

APPLY CONSERVATION OF MECHANICAL EENERGY TO SOLVE FREE-

FALL ANF PROJECTILE MOTION PROBLEMS

6. A toy rocket is launched with a speed of 2.6 m/s. Air resistance is negligible.
(a) What objects are in the isolated system?
Toy rocket and earth
(b) Draw a horizontal line to show where you set the reference frame. (Ground Level)
(c) Find how high the toy rocket can reach?

The toy rocket

can reach a
height of 0.35 m
7. Timmy throws an apple straight down from the 2nd floor that is 4 m above
ground. The apple moves with 0.8 m/s right after it leaves Timmy’s hand.
(a) What objects are in the isolated system?
The apple and earth
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PHYSICS 10-1 CONSERVATION OF MECHANICAL ENERGY
(b) Draw a horizontal line to show where you set the reference frame.
(c) Find the apple’s impact speed?

The apple’s
impact speed is
8.9 m/s, down
8. The Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado rises
321 m above the Arkansas River. Suppose you kick a rock
horizontally off the bridge. The magnitude of the rock’s horizontal
displacement is 45.0 m. Applying conservation of energy to find the
speed at which the rock was kicked.

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Applying kinematics equation to solve the problem:

9. In her physics lab, Melanie rolls a 10-g marble down a ramp and off the table with a horizontal velocity of
1.2 m/s. The marble falls in a cup placed 0.51 m from the table’s edge. What is the marble’s impact
speed?

10. Joyce
throws an
apple to
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PHYSICS 10-1 CONSERVATION OF MECHANICAL ENERGY
Jen. The initial speed of the apple once leaves Joyce’s hand is 5 m/s. Jen catches it at the height of 1.6
m. How fast is the apple right before it gets caught?

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APPLY CONSERVATION OF MECHANICAL EENERGY TO ROLLER COASTER PROBLEMS

11. A roller coaster cart slides down from rest along the track.
(a) What objects are in the isolated system? Earth, the track, the cart
(b) Explain how energy is transformed to gain more speed when the cart slides from position 1 to 2,
At position 1, the cart is at the very top of the ramp, so the cart has the most PE and no KE. As
the cart goes down the ramp, the PE decreases and the KE increases, so the cart moves
downwards and goes faster. The cart gains more speed by converting PE to KE as it goes down.
(c) How fast is the cart at position 2?
The cart is going 12.5 m/s
at position 2

(d) Draw a line to indicate the maximum height the cart can reach on the right side of the ramp.

12. The roller coaster cart starts with 11 m/s. How fast is it when reaches position 3?

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(ADDED: Position 1 is 11.5m above ground and Position 3 is 5.5m above the ground)]

13. A 1.5-kg block is pushed against a spring that is compressed a distance x= 20 cm. The block is then
released and travels up a frictionless inclined surface. The spring constant is 2400 N/m
(a) What objects are included in your isolated system? The block, the spring, the track and earth
(b) Explain the motion of the block in terms of energy transformation.
As the spring is compressed, it builds spring potential energy. When it is released, the PEs
transforms into kinetic energy, which makes the block go faster and travel up the ramp.
1 1 1 1
(c) Apply conservation of mechanical energy, m v 2i + mgh i+ k x 2i = m v 2f +mg hf + k x 2f , to
2 2 2 2
determine the maximum height the block can reach.

14. What are the pros and cons applying conservation of energy?
A pro of applying conservation of energy is that you are able to discover any outside variables. Friction
for example would make the total energy differ. The friction makes the KE and PE turn into thermal or
heat energy. By using the conservation of energy, you can see if the ME is conservative during the trial.
A con of using the conservation of energy is that this theory cannot be applied in nature because there is
other variables that are not taken into consideration like air resistance or friction. In some cases, the
conversation of energy equation does not product accurate results in everyday nature and simulations,
only when certain variables are not taken into consideration.