Work, Energy & Power Lab
W Background: W Fd P Eg mgh W = t
Purpose: To develop an understanding of work, energy and power. To calculate personal power output capabilities.
Materials/Apparatus: Stopwatch or timing device Measuring tape Bathroom Scale or “Weighing Scale”
Procedure: 1. Obtain a measurement for the change in height between ground level and the second floor (where the physics lab is). (Trigonometry can be used to find this out.) 2. Obtain a measurement for personal mass. 3. Measure the amount of time it takes to walk up the stairs at a “normal” and constant speed. 4. Repeat step three for a slower pace. 5. Repeat step three for the fastest safe pace. 6. Enter the data in the table. 7. Answer the questions that follow.
Data: Personal Mass: ______Personal weight:______Staircase height: ______
Speed Eg Work Displacement Time Fapplied Power Slow Normal Fast Analysis:
1. Analyze the motion up the stairs in a brief paragraph. Think in terms of constant velocity, acceleration, and whether the motion is truly 1 dimensional. 2. What amount of work is done when moving in these other dimensions? Explain.
3. How much does the gravitational potential energy change by climbing the stairs?
4. Does the speed up the stairs affect the change in gravitational potential energy? Explain.
5. What affects the power output? How can a person maximize his/her power? Minimize his/her power?
Organize your work in a formal lab report.