Law of conservation of energy using linear air tracker

Objective :

The objective of this experiment is to verify the Law of Conservation of Energy by measuring the
potential and kinetic energies of a pulley system consisting of a hanging mass and a moving glider.
The aim is to confirm that the total mechanical energy remains constant, demonstrating energy
conservation and therefore abiding the law of conservation of energy.

Hypothesis:

If the Law of Conservation of Energy holds, then the potential energy lost by the hanging mass will be
equal to the kinetic energy gained by the glider on the air track, because energy cannot be created or
destroyed, only transferred. Therefore, the total mechanical energy of the system should remain
constant, with any losses towards experimental errors, air resistance, or any friction present during
performing the experiment.

Background Information:

The Law of Conservation of Energy states that in a closed system, energy can neither be created nor
destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. In the context of this experiment, the system
consists of a glider on a frictionless air track, attached to a hanging mass which is connected to a
pulley.

As the hanging mass descends, it loses potential energy (PE), which is transferred to the glider as
kinetic energy (KE). Ideally, the total mechanical energy of the system (PE + KE) should remain
constant throughout the motion.

Formulas Used:

1. Potential Energy (PE):

PE=mgh
○ m = mass of the hanging object (in kg)
○ g = acceleration due to gravity (9.81 m/s²)
○ h= height the mass (in meters)
2. Kinetic Energy (KE):

KE=
○ m = mass of the glider (in kg)
○ v = velocity of the glider (in m/s)

3. Velocity (v):
v=dtv

d= distance traveled by the glider (in meters)

 ○ t = time taken (in seconds)

Energy Conservation:

PEinitial=KEfinal

This relationship holds true if there are no energy losses to friction or air resistance. In reality, there
may be small losses due to experimental errors.

Apparatus:

Apparatus Quantity Use

Linear Air track 1 Provides a near-frictionless

surface for the glider to move,
ensuring minimal energy loss.

Glider (Mass=0.442kg) 1 Moves along the air track,

gaining kinetic energy as the
hanging mass descends.

Hanging Mass (10 g to 50 g) 5 masses Provides potential energy;

different masses are used to
vary the energy transfer.

Timer 1 Measures the time taken for the

glider to travel a set distance.

Pulley System 1 Connects the hanging mass to

the glider and allows the mass
to fall, transferring energy.

Ruler 1 Measures the distance traveled

by the glider on the air track.

Distance between photo-gates 92cm The distance over which the

glider's velocity is measured.

Height of Hanging Mass (h) 89cm The vertical height from which
the hanging mass falls,
providing potential energy.

Gravitational Constant (g) 9.81 m/s² Acceleration due to gravity,

used in the calculation of
potential energy.

Variable:

Variable Type Description

 Time Taken Dependent Variable The time taken by the glider to
travel the set distance between
two photo-gates.

Hanging Mass Independent Variable The mass hanging from the

pulley, which is varied between
10 g and 50 g.

Variable How Controlled Reason for being controlled

Air track Angle Keep the air track perfectly Ensures no additional forces
horizontal (like gravity) act on the glider
other than from the mass.

Distance between photogates Fixed distance of 92cm Ensures a consistent distance

for measuring the time and
calculating velocity.

Glider mass Fixed at 0.442kg Ensures that the kinetic energy

depends only on the velocity,
not changes in mass.

Height of hanging mass Kept constant at 89cm Provides consistent potential

energy for all trials.

Procedure:

1. Set up the linear air track system and attach the hanging mass to one end via a pulley.
2. Vary the mass of the hanging object from 10 g to 50 g, keeping the glider and the distance it
travels constant.
3. Start the air flow on the track to minimize friction.
4. Release the hanging mass from rest and measure the time it takes for the glider to travel the
set distance.
5. Record the times for five trials for each mass.
6. Repeat the experiment for different hanging masses (10 g, 20 g, 30 g, 40 g, 50 g).

Data:

Raw Data Table

Hanging Trial 1 (s) Trial 2 (s) Trial 3 (s) Trial 4 (s) Trial 5 (s) Average Uncertain
mass (g) time (s) ty (time)

10 2.206 2.195 2.185 2.162 2.172 2.184 ± 0.018

20 1.682 1.641 1.610 1.599 1.618 1.619 ± 0.016

 30 1.336 1.338 1.342 1.342 1.335 1.339 ± 0.003

40 1.185 1.183 1.191 1.186 1.197 1.188 ± 0.006

50 1.092 1.117 1.103 1.106 1.096 1.103 ± 0.009

Uncertainty calculation example

For Hanging Mass = 10 g:

The uncertainty in time (t) is calculated as the standard deviation of the five trials.

1. Calculate the mean (average) time:

t‾=2.206+2.195+2.185+2.162+2.1725=2.184 seconds

2. Calculate the deviation from the mean for each trial:

t1−t‾=2.206−2.184=0.022t

t2−t‾=2.195−2.184=0.011t

t3−t‾=2.185−2.184=0.001t

t4−t‾=2.162−2.184=−0.022t

t5−t‾=2.172−2.184=−0.012t

3. Square each deviation:

5. Find the standard deviation (σt\sigma_tσt​):

6. Final Result:

The uncertainty in time for 10 g hanging mass is ±0.018 seconds.

Processed Data Table:

Hanging mass (g) Average time (s) Distance (m) Average velocity Kinetic energy (j)
(m/s)

10 2.184 0.92 0.421 0.039

20 1.619 0.92 0.568 0.071

30 1.339 0.92 0.687 0.104

40 1.188 0.92 0.774 0.132

50 1.103 0.92 0.834 0.154

Calculate for one of the data (20g):

Energy Consistency Analysis:

As we can see from the table, the potential energy is consistently higher than the kinetic energy for
each set of trials. The percentage differences between the initial potential energy and the final kinetic
energy range from around 55% to 65%. This indicates that a significant portion of the total
mechanical energy is "lost" or unaccounted for, likely due to energy losses in the system.

Impact of Experimental Uncertainties:

Experimental uncertainties, such as friction in the air track, air resistance, and slight inaccuracies in
the mass and timing measurements, likely account for these energy differences. Even though the Law
of Conservation of Energy theoretically predicts that PE should equal KE in a frictionless system,
real-world factors prevent perfect energy conservation. These factors lead to energy being dissipated,
which explains the difference.

Potential sources of error:

Air Resistance/Friction: The linear air track, while minimizing friction, may still have slight
imperfections causing resistance. The pulley system may also display friction, reducing the energy
transferred to the glider.

Timing Uncertainties: The timing system may have inaccuracies either due to the response time of the
sensors or errors in starting/stopping measurements. Any time lag could affect the velocity calculation
and, thus, the kinetic energy calculation.

Measurement Errors: Inaccurate readings in the mass of the hanging object or the height from which it
falls could introduce errors in calculating the potential energy. Even a small error in mass or height
measurement would propagate into energy calculations.

Energy Dissipation: There might be other energy losses, such as slight heating of the air or
deformation in the materials used, which would not be accounted for in the mechanical energy but
would lead to differences between PE and KE.

Conclusion:

Based on the results of the experiment, it can be concluded that the Law of Conservation of Energy is
followed, but with noticeable discrepancies. The initial potential energy is higher than the final kinetic
energy in each trial. These differences are likely due to energy losses that were not accounted for, such
as air resistance, friction, and other experimental errors. The experiment does demonstrate the general
trend predicted by the conservation law but, no real system is perfectly efficient.