Lab Exploring the Law of Conservation of Energy

Name: ________________________________________________________________________________________

You will use https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/energy-skate-park/latest/energy-skate-park_en.html

Theoretical background

There is a difference between the law of conservation of mechanical energy and the law of conservation of energy.

• The law of conservation of mechanical energy includes gravitational, kinetic, and elastic energy. It states that the
total amount of the system's mechanical energy remains constant (if no fractional effects are present),
disregarding the system configuration or time instants. Thus, at any two or more than two selected locations:

(𝑈𝑠 + 𝑈𝐺 + 𝐾)1 = (𝑈𝑠 + 𝑈𝐺 + 𝐾)2

(𝑈𝑠 + 𝑈𝐺 + 𝐾)1 = total energy of the system at location 1

(𝑈𝑠 + 𝑈𝐺 + 𝐾)2 = total energy of the system at location 2

• The law of conservation of energy includes other forms of energy, such as thermal that can result from work
done by the force of friction. Work by the force of friction is a process during which the mechanical energy is
dissipated into thermal.

• It can be (a) subtracted from the initial system's energy or (b) added to the final energy of the system.
Both (a) and (b) are correct because both algebraic processes produce the same numerical answers.
We realize that adding 𝑾𝒇 to both sides of equation (a) produces equation (b).

(a) (𝑈𝑠 + 𝑈𝐺 + 𝐾 − 𝑾𝒇 ) = (𝑈𝑠 + 𝑈𝐺 + 𝐾)2

1
(b) (𝑈𝑠 + 𝑈𝐺 + 𝐾)1 = (𝑈𝑠 + 𝑈𝐺 + 𝐾 + 𝑾𝒇 )
2
• Since the law includes the gravitational potential energy a reference level must be established before the law is
applied. It is to realize that while the magnitude of the object's total mechanical energy might differ due to
different levels, the change of potential energy due to the change of the object’s height remains the same.

Part 1. Exploring the law of conservation of mechanical energy

Open: https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/energy-skate-park/latest/energy-skate-park_en.html

• Click INTRO
• On the lower left side, click on Grid and
Reference Height
• Keep the left side of the menu as it is
prearranged.
• Note that the diagram on the left includes XY
axes for reference.
• While the scaling on the x-axis is not shown, it is
meant to be the same as on the y-axis.

You will solve several problems related to the scenario. Show all initial algebraic forms of the total energy.
1. Consider the reference level at y=0 (Height=0). Suppose that skater A is initially positioned at the top of the track.
a. Calculate the skater's total initial mechanical energy. b. Calculate his speed when his horizontal position is
2m.

c. Find the maximum speed of the skater and determine d. Suppose that another skater, B, whose mass is ¾ of
the x and y coordinates when he attains that speed. skater A starts from the same height. Will the speeds
of skater B be the same as that of A at locations
described in b and c? Why?

e. Calculate the maximum speed of skater B to support

your predictions.

2. The reference level is moved up 6m creating the skater’s negative positions when he is below that level.

a) Calculate the skater’s total mechanical energy when he

is at the position (1, 0). Does the calculation support
your predictions (see #2a)?

b) Calculate his speed at the lowest point, thus at (5, -6).

a) Suppose that the skater is at the location (1, 0). Will c) Prove using the law of conservation of energy that his
his total initial mechanical energy be the same as in speed is zero at the location (9, 0).
#1?

d) Why changing the frame of reference did not change

the calculated skater’s speed?
Part 2. Including the work done by the force of friction.

Move back the reference to y=0 and set the force of b) Calculate the skater's mechanical energy loss
friction, gravity, etc., as shown in the diagram below. considering (1m, 6m) the location and final location
a) Release the skater from (1m, 6m). Will he reach the when he stops. Use the simulation and a ruler to
height of 6m on the other side of the track? Support measure the maximum height he reaches to be able
your answer. to calculate the energy loss.

c) Suppose that another skater of 3/2 the mass of skater

A starts from (1m, 6m) and rolls to the right side. Will
he experience the same loss of mechanical energy?
Use the simulation and a ruler to measure the
maximum height he reaches to be able to measure
the energy loss.

Part 3. Exploring gravitational potential energy expressed in terms of the object's horizontal position

Gravitational potential energy is traditionally expressed as a variable of the object's vertical position 𝑈𝐺 (𝑦) = 𝑚𝑔𝑦.
However, it can also be expressed in the function of the object's horizontal position. The algebraic process of changing
the independent parameter y to x in 𝑈𝐺 (𝑦) = 𝑚𝑔𝑦 is about finding a function for y that would represent the shape of
the track the object follows. In our case, y(x) is the track is parabolic thus a quadratic function should be used.

One of the forms of a quadratic function is

𝑦(𝑥) = 𝑎(𝑥 − 𝑥𝑉 )2 + 𝑦𝑉 (1); where (𝑥𝑉 , 𝑦𝑣 ) are the
coordinates of the vertex. And 𝑎 is the leading coefficient.
The height y and the horizontal position, x are both expressed
in meters. You will follow these steps to find the track
algebraic equation:
a) Identify the coordinates of the vertex: (𝑥𝑉 , 𝑦𝑉 ).
b) Plug them into (1).
c) Identify an additional point from the "graph." Replace
𝑦 and 𝑥 with the numerical values of the point’s
coordinates.
d) Solve (1) for 𝑎.
e) Formulate the quadratic function depicting the track
shape. Show your work below.
Once the track function is formulated, you will develop 𝑈𝐺 (𝑥). Since 𝑈𝐺 (𝑦) = 𝑚𝑔𝑦 and 𝑦 = 𝑎(𝑥 − 𝑥𝑉 )2 +
𝑦𝑉 then 𝑈𝐺 (𝑥) = 𝑚𝑔[𝑎(𝑥 − 𝑥𝑉 )2 + 𝑦𝑉 ]. This equation must have only 𝑥 which is the horizontal distance, the
independent variable. Replace the parameters with their numerical values and write 𝑈𝐺 (𝑥) below.

Note that 𝑦 = 𝑎(𝑥 − 𝑥𝑉 )2 + 𝑦𝑉 and 𝑈𝐺 (𝑥) = 𝑚𝑔[𝑎(𝑥 − 𝑥𝑉 )2 + 𝑦𝑉 ] are not identical algebraically. While both are
quadratic, they differ by the vertical stretch/compression denoted by 𝑚𝑔. The derived equation 𝑈𝐺 (𝑥) can be
embedded into the law of conservation of mechanical energy and used to find an object’s stable and unstable equilibria
(see part 4) when the derivative must be deployed.

a) Formulate the law using two different general positions considering that the track is frictionless. Assume the
reference level is at y=0m.

(a) Use the law to find the skater's speed at x=7m if he starts from the position of x=0m.

(c) Formulate an expression for the 𝑈𝐺 (𝑥) if the reference level initially at y = 0 is moved up 6 m?

(d) Use the law to find the skater's speed at x=7m if he starts from the position of x=0m and check if it corresponds
with #b.
Part 4 Analysis of Stable and Unstable Equilibria

Background. If the graph/function of potential energy versus the object's horizontal position is given, then the object's
stable or unstable equilibria can be determined using the object's horizontal position

What are the properties of stable and unstable equilibria?

Object experiences equilibrium at some x-values where the restoring force acting on it is zero, thus 𝐹𝑅 = 0. Since 𝐹𝑅 =
𝑑𝑈(𝑥)
− 𝑑𝑥
, equilibrium occurs where the slope to U(x)=0, thus the restoring force acting on the object is zero.

These points of equilibria are further reclassified as;

𝑑 2 𝑈(𝑥)
• Stable equilibria where 𝑑𝑥 2
(
> 0 function is concave up)
2
𝑑 𝑈(𝑥)
• Stable equilibria where (
< 0 function is concave down)
𝑑𝑥 2
𝑑 2 𝑈(𝑥)
• Neutral equilibria where 𝑑𝑥 2 = 0 (no concave behavior)

All these calculus conditions can also be interpreted through the direction or restoring force near these points,
respectively.

• 𝐹𝑅 acts toward the point near stable equilibrium

• 𝐹𝑅 acts away from the point near unstable equilibrium
• 𝐹𝑅 is zero near the neutral equilibrium
How to sketch a graph of a restoring force given by the graph of potential energy?
𝑑𝑈(𝑥)
To sketch the restoring force graph, follow 𝐹𝑅 (𝑥) = − 𝑑𝑥
. Thus sketch:
a) The derivative of the given graph of 𝑈(𝑥).
𝑑𝑈(𝑥)
b) Reflect the derivative graph about the x-axis to account for the negative in front of 𝑑𝑥
which is
𝑑𝑈(𝑥)
𝐹𝑅 (𝑥) = − 𝑑𝑥
.
3. Considering the track, 𝑈(𝑥), sketch a graph of a restoring force 𝐹𝑅 (𝑥). Then identify and classify the

1. The given track depicts 𝑦(𝑥) function and can be considered 𝑈(𝑥). Suppose a skater moves along the track starting
from (0, 2).
a. Identify the positions (x-values) of the skater's stable and unstable equilibrium.

b. Sketch FR(x) graph below and verify your predictions.

To sketch the derivative:

a) Label the points where the U(x) function has local

maxima and minima
b) Using a dotted line sketch the derivative of U(x)
considering signs of slopes of tangent lines to
U(x) at several x -values. E.g. the value of the
derive when x=0 must be negative.
c) Since the U(x) is a fourth-degree function, the
derivative must be a third-degree polynomial
function.
d) Reflect the derivative about the x-axis.

The reflected function is FR(x).