NAME: SCORE:

Class #: Year/Section: Group: Date:

EXPERIMENT #01: WORK AND ENERGY

OBJECTIVES MATERIALS
To demonstrate what energy can do and how energy is inclined plane or long board
related to work. cart with wheel (or toy with long board)
block of wood
meter stick
force measurer or spring balance
1 inch thick masking tape

INVESTIGATE

1. Refer to the setup above and prop up one end of the board to approximately 10 cm high. Lay block of wood
approximately 20 cm from the lower end.
2. Allow the cat o roll down from the higher end so that it pushes the wood forwards but not of the board. If the
board falls off, lower the board and/or use a lighter cart.
3. Lay the meter stick on the board to measure the distance the wood has moved forward (i.e. the displacement)
Note: As you perform the procedure, write down your observations immediately under Observations.
A. 4. Hang the cart from the spring balance. Measure and record the weight of the cart.
5. Place the cart near the higher end. Measure and record the weight of the cart.
6. Let the cart roll down the board toward the block. Measure and record the distance the wood has covered as
it moves forward.
B. 7. Place the cart halfway near the wood. Again measure the height of the cart from the table and the distance
the wood has covered as it moves forward.
8. Do the same (no. 7) with shorter distances between the cart and the wood. Record the data in Table 1-9.

DATA AND RESULTS

A. 1. The weight of the cart is __________ N
2. The height of the cart is __________ cm or __________m
3. The displacement of the wood is __________ cm or __________m
 4. Did the cart do work on the block? How can you tell if it did?
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B. 5. LABORATORY DATA
Trial Weight of Cart (N) Height of Cart (cm) Displacement of Stored Energy
Wood (cm)
1 ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________
2 ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________
3 ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________
6. At which position (i.e. height from the table) is the cart able to do:
a. the most work? _______________________________________________________
b. the least work? _______________________________________________________
7. Compute the stored energy of the cart by multiplying the weight of the height it was raised to. Enter the
results of your computations in the last column of the Laboratory Data
8. At which position does the cart possess:
a. the greatest stored energy? _______________________________________________
b. the least stored energy? _________________________________________________
9. Will the cart do more work:
a. if it has greater weight? __________________________________________________
b. if it is raised to a higher level?______________________________________________
10. What two factors to determine the amount of work the cart can do or the amount of stored energy it
possesses?
a. _________________________________________________________________
b. _________________________________________________________________

ANALYZE AND CONCLUDE

1. How is work affected by the change in force and distance?
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2. How is power affected by the change in time?
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 GENERALIZE
Is it possible to apply a force on something without doing work? Give one situation and explain your answer.
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Walking up stairs is comparatively more tiring than walking down the stairs. Why, explain your answer?
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