LAB OUTLINE

Experiment #:​ 3
Topic:​ Forces
Aim: ​To determine your own power when climbing a flight of stairs
Date​: November 11, 2019
Apparatus and materials:​ Bathroom scale, tape measure/metre sticks, string, masses, stopwatch
Method:
1. Stand on a scale to find your mass.
2. Find a stairway that has a vertical height of at least one floor.
3. Measure the height of the stairs in metres by attaching a weight to a string and lowering it
from the top of the stairs to the bottom.
4. Measure the length of the string with the tape measure or several metre sticks.
5. Have a teacher or student at the top of the stairs with a stopwatch to measure the time it
takes you to climb the stairs from the bottom to the top. Timing should be the moment
your foot touches the first step.
6. Record the time it takes for you to run from the bottom of the stairs to the top.
Results/Calculations:
*If you do not have the table, please get the data from another person.
Mass and weight conversion: 2.2 lbs = 1 kilogram
Height of stairs, ​h​ = _____ m
Time to climb the stairs, ​t​ = _____ s
Discussion
State the aim of the experiment. Summarize the method in at most three sentences. State the
value you calculated for your power when climbing a flight of stairs. If your potential energy is
zero when you are on the ground level, what is your potential energy when you reach the top of
the stairs. How would the work done against gravity change if you ran up the stairs in half the
time and why? How would the work done against gravity change if you ran up the stairs in twice
the time and why? How would your level of power change if you ran up the stairs in half the
time and why? How would your level of power change if you ran up the stairs in twice the time
and why?
Precautions​ (past tense): Clear stairs of all debris and obstacles.
Errors ​(past tense):
Limitations ​(past tense):
Conclusion ​(past tense): State the value from your calculations for your power when climbing
the flight of stairs.
 ​ ACTUAL LAB

Experiment #:​ 3
Topic:​ Forces
Aim: ​To determine your own power when climbing a flight of stairs
Date​: November 11, 2019
Apparatus and materials:​ Bathroom scale, tape measure/metre sticks, string, masses,
stopwatch, student
Method:
1. The mass of the student was found by standing on a scale.
2. The vertical height of a stairway was found.
3. The height of the stairs was measured in metres by attaching a weight to a string and
lowering it from the top of the stairs to the bottom.
4. The length of the string was measured with a tape measure.
5. A stopwatch was used to record the time taken to run from the bottom of the stairs to the
top.
Diagram : ​No Diagram
Results/Calculations:
*If you do not have the table, please get the data from another person.

Weight Height of 1step Speed (m/s) Work (J) Power (J/s)

(N) (m)

458 3.77 6.27 17.275 275.4

Table showing results obtained
Calculations:
weight = mass x gravitational acceleration
45.8 kg x 10 ms-2​ ​ = 458N
height of 1 step (m) = 14.5m
total height of stairs = # of steps x height of 1 step
= 26 x 14.5m = 377m
time = 6.27 min = 376.2 s
work = mgh
= 45.8kg x 10ms-2​ ​ x 377 m
= 172,666 J
Power = work / time
=172,666J/ 376.2s
=458.97J/s

Discussion:
The objective of this experiment was to determine power when climbing a flight of stairs This
was done by finding the students mass and the vertical height of the stairs. The student was
allowed to climb the stairs from the bottom to the top and the time was taken with a stopwatch.
The work and power was determined as outlined in the calculations. power was found to be
458.97J/s.
At ground level the potential energy is zero, however, at the top of the stairs, the potential
energy is equivalent to the work done and was found to be 172,666J.
If the student runs up the stairs in twice the time, the work done against gravity will not change.
This is because the work done is dependent only on mass, gravitational acceleration, height and
not on time. If however, the student runs up the stairs in half the time, then the power would
increase. This is because power exists in an indirect proportional relationship with time. henc, as
time decreases, power increases. If the student runs up the stairs in twice the time, the power
decreases by half because .
Precautions​:
1. Clear stairs of all debris and obstacles.
2. It was ensured that the stair was dry to prevent slipping
Errors ​:
1. Reaction error in the stopwatch
Limitations ​:
1. The height of each step may not exactly be the same.
Conclusion ​: Based on the experiment conducted and calculations done, the power when
climbing a flight of stairs was found to be 458.97J/s.