Physics Discussion Question On My Roller Coaster Lab (Energy-Related)?

[wiffellballki]

Homework Statement

We did this roller coaster lab where we had a metal marble roll up and down this roller coaster track.

One of the questions he asked us was "is energy "missing?" explain where it went."

I know friction takes some of it, but I am not good at wording it right to sound good. Help??

Homework Equations

PE= M*g*height
KE= 1/2mv^2

The Attempt at a Solution

I know it has to do with friction taking away some of it, but i need to make it sound good!

 

[Carid]

Well there's some rolling resistance in the metal ball - not a lot though!
Then the track mechanically flexes as the marble passes - that's much more.
Can you hear that marble? - sound energy is very small though.
Heating of the marble and track due to their frictional interaction.
If the marble does any sliding rather than rolling there's plenty of energy loss.
Is the marble magnetic? Induced currents in any nearby conductor will siphon off more energy.

This list is not exhaustive I'm sure.

 

[nlightner]

Great question! In our roller coaster lab, we observed the transfer of energy between potential energy and kinetic energy. As the marble rolls up the track, it gains potential energy due to its position above the ground. This potential energy is then converted into kinetic energy as the marble rolls down the track. However, we also observed that the marble did not reach the same height on each subsequent run, indicating that some of the energy was lost. This is due to the presence of friction, which acts as a force opposing the motion of the marble. Friction converts some of the energy into heat, causing a decrease in the marble's speed and height on subsequent runs. Therefore, it is not that the energy is "missing," but rather that it has been transformed into a different form. This phenomenon is known as energy dissipation and is an important concept in understanding the behavior of objects in motion.