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The Physics Teacher -- February 2012 -- Volume 50, Issue 2, pp. 109

A Better 2-D Mechanical Energy Conservation Experiment

Michael Paesler

North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

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A variety of simple classical mechanics energy conservation experiments are used in teaching laboratories. Typical one-dimensional (1-D) setups may involve falling balls or oscillating springs. Many of these can be quite satisfying in that students can confirm—within a few percent—that mechanical energy is conserved. Students generally have little trouble identifying discrepancies such as the loss of a few percent of the gravitational potential energy due to air friction encountered by a falling ball. Two-dimensional (2-D) systems can require more sophisticated analysis for higher level laboratories, but such systems often incorporate complicating components that can make the exercise academically incomplete and experimentally less accurate. The following describes a simple 2-D energy conservation experiment based on the popular “Newton's Cradle” toy that allows students to account for nearly all of the mechanical energy in the system in an academically complete analysis.

© 2012 American Association of Physics Teachers

KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

educational courses, energy conservation, mechanical energy storage, physics education, student experiments

PACS

  • 01.50.Pa

    Laboratory experiments and apparatus

  • 84.60.Ve

    Energy storage systems, including capacitor banks

History
Online Jan 2012

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0031-921X (print)  

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Association of Physics Teachers

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.3677288

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