Calculating Work and Power by Climbing Stairs

Name:_________________

Introduction: In this activity, you will find out if a person does more work walking up a flight of stairs or running up the same flight of stairs by having you or someone else actually do this. You will also lean what scientists mean by the words work and power. Part I 1. ind a staircase and using a ruler, record the height of one step in centimeters in !able 1. ". #ount the number of steps that you or your classmate will be climbing and record your answer in !able 1. $. #alculate the total height of the staircase in centimeters. %. #alculate the total height of the staircase in meters. !able 1: &taircase 'easurements 1. (eight of one step )cm* ". Number of steps climbed $. !otal height of staircase )cm* + height of one step , number of steps climbed %. !otal height of staircase )m* + total height of staircase )cm* divided by 1-Part II .. Ne/t decide who will be climbing the stairs and who will be recording the time of the stair climber. 0rite the weight of the stair climber in the blank space below. 0eight of climber: _______________________________________________________ 1. !o figure out weight in Newtons, multiply pounds by -.". kg and then by the force of gravity )2.3 m4s"* 5. (ave the stair climber climb the stairs slowly and steadily. 6ecord the time it takes in seconds in !able " under the column labeled 7slowly8. 9o three trials and calculate the average time. 3. Now have the same stair climber climb the stairs rapidly. 6ecord the time it takes in seconds in !able " under the column labeled 7rapidly8. 9o three trials and calculate the average time. !able ": !ime !rials #limbing &tairs !rials !ime )seconds* 1 &lowly " $ :vg. 1 6apidly " $ :vg.

Part III 2. #alculate the work done by the stair climber in climbing the stairs slowly and rapidly using units of ;oules. 6ecord your answers in !able $ below. ormula: 0ork done );oules* + height of staircase )m* , weight of stair climber )N* !able $: 0ork 9one #limbing &tairs 0ork done )<oules* &lowly 6apidly

1-. 0as the work done by climbing the stairs slowly the same as or different from climbing the stairs rapidly= 9oes you answer surprise you=

Part IV 11. #alculate the power output of climbing the stairs slowly and rapidly in watts. 6ecord your answers in the appropriate spaces below. ormula: >ower + 0ork done climbing stairs )<oules* !ime re?uired to climb stairs )seconds* >ower output of person climbing stairs slowly _____________________ watts >ower output of person climbing stairs rapidly _____________________ watts Part V 1". &uppose the power output of a person climbing stairs could somehow be directly converted into electrical power. (ow many 1--@watt light bulbs could a person light by climbing the stairs slowly and rapidly= ormula: 0atts )from above* 1--