Pasco Scientific ME-6956, Instruction Manual And Experiment Manual

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012-07558A PAScar Accessory Track Set (2.2 Meter)
®
9. Record the initial position of the car in Table 9.2.
10. Release the plunger by tapping it with a stick and record the distance the car goes up the
track. Repeat this five times. Record the maximum distance the car went in Table 9.2.
11. Change the angle of inclination and repeat the measurements.
12. Add mass to the car and repeat the measurements.
Table 9.2
Distance spring is compressed (x) = ______________
Initial position of car = ___________________
Data Analysis
1. Using the data in Table 9.1, plot force versus displacement. Draw the best-fit straight line
through the data points and determine the slope of the line. The slope is equal to the
effective spring constant, k.
k = ______________
2. Calculate the spring potential energy, and record in Table 9.3.
3. Calculate the gravitational potential energy for each case and record in Table 9.3.
4. Calculate the percent difference between the spring potential energy and the gravitational
potential energy.
Distance(d) traveled by the car (trials 1-5)
Angle Mass Trial 1 2 3 4 5 Max
h = d sin
θ
Table 9.3
Angle/Mass % Difference
Questions
1. Which of the potential energies was larger? Where did this “ lost ” energy go?
2. When the mass of the car was doubled, why did the gravitational potential energy
remain about the same?
Spring PE ( kx
2
)
1
2
Gravitational PE (mgh)