Conservation of Energy Lab

1. Question of the Day

2. Question of the Day

3. Today’s Objectives:
• You will calculate how much gravitational and kinetic
energy a ball has while moving in free fall.
• You will apply the law of energy conservation in order to
check for energy lost internally.

4. Conservation of Energy
A baseball is thrown up in the air and then falls back down.
Place velocity vectors beside each corresponding baseball in
the drawing, and draw an energy storage pie for each lettered
position.
A B C D E
Gravitational Potential Energy
Elastic Energy
Kinetic Energy
Internal Energy
(Dissipated to Heat & Sound)

5. Without internal energy:
A B C D E
With internal energy:
A B C D E
Gravitational Potential Energy
Kinetic Energy
Internal Energy
(Dissipated to Heat & Sound)

6. Materials:
• Computer w/ Logger Pro
• LabQuest Mini (Interface)
• Motion Detector
• Baseball
• Wire Basket
Motion Detector
Setup & Procedure:
Conservation of Energy Lab:

7. Data Table:
Conservation of Energy Lab:
Mass of the Ball:
(kg)
Position: Time:
(s)
Height:
(m)
Velocity:
(m/s)
Gravitational
Energy:
(J)
Kinetic
Energy:
(J)
Total
Energy:
(J)
Internal
Energy:
(J)
After Release
0
Between
Release and Top
Top of Path
Between Top
and Catch
Before Catch

8. Additional Practice:
Workbook:
• p. 45 – 51