Experiment 201: Work, Energy and Power

Cassandra Julia de Jesus

Edward Kim
Maria Minorca Mercado
Quinjan Robert Ocampo
Angelo Tan
Lawrence Christopher Yu
Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry
Mapua Institute of Technology

I. ABSTRACT

The experiment conducted enabled the group to explore the application of work, energy and power through
a first-hand basis. There were 2 two parts namely: Determining the Force, Work, and Power of the Fan Cart; and
Work by a Force on a Curved Path. The first part required the use of a fan cart, a dynamics track, photogates and
several weights; with these materials the group was able to determine varying displacements and times travelled by
the fan cart. The work and average power were computed using the data acquired such as the time it takes to travel a
certain displacement and the force of the fan cart. It aided the group to successfully determine the power of the cart
by the definition of work and the energy conservation principle. For the second part, the materials used were the
following: a meter stick, protractor, meter stick, weight, iron stand, string, and a spring balance. The final height,
angle of the string, and the horizontal distance can be attained by applying a horizontal force on the mass. With
these data, the work in moving the mass through the arc can be computed as well as the increase in the gravitational
potential energy of the mass. Thus, successfully accomplishing the objectives of the experiment.

II. OBJECTIVES

The experiment is conducted to understand the concepts of work, energy, and power and their relationship with
each other. The experiment seeks (i) to determine the relationship of the work done and the displacement by keeping
the force constant and the relationship of work done and the force applied, (ii) to determine the relationship between
the work done and expended power, (iii) and to determine the gravitational potential energy and how it is affected
by the height and work on a curved path and how it is affected by the angle.

III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In part 1 of the experiment, a fan cart was used to determine the power of the cart. To know the power of
the fan cart, we need to determine the work done in a period of time because power is defined as the time rate of
doing work. Work is said to be equal to the product of the applied force and to the displacement at which the body
moves after the force is applied. The fan cart and mass hanger were attached with a string. A certain amount of mass
was added to the mass hanger. Several trials were made to determine at which mass the fan cart would not move
when it is turned on. The mass at which the fan cart was able to resist being pulled when turned on was 0.035 kg.
Where the added mass is 0.030 kg and the mass of the pan is 0.005 kg. The force of the fan cart is equal to the
weight of the pan and the certain weight added depending on the decision of the group. After multiplying the mass
to the gravitational constant 9.8 m/s2 the force of the fan cart is obtained which is 0.343 Newtons.

The applied force is constant while the displacement increases at each trial to determine the relationship
between the displacement travelled and the work done. Four trials were made so we let the fan cart travel a distance
of 0.40 m for trial 1, 0.45 m for trial 2, 0.50 m for trial 3, and 0.55 m for trial 2. The displacement is increasing so
tendency, the power would increase with increasing displacement when the force is held constant, but time should
also be considered because as what is said earlier, power is the time rate of doing work. Work increases at each trial
and so does the time so the power will remain constant for each trial. The time it took the fan cart to pass through
photogate 1 and photogate two that are separated by a certain distance are 1.3869 sec in trial 1, 1.4347 sec in trial 2,
1.5252 sec in trial 3, and 1.6721 sec in trial 4. Unfortunately, our gathered data is not accurate; the power of the fan
cart in trial 1 is 0.0989 watts, 0.10758 watts in trial 2, 0.1125 watts in trial 3, and 0.11163 in trial 4. It is not accurate
but somehow precise because there’s one wheel that’s not rolling properly.

In part 2 of the experiment, a different set-up was used. We wanted to know the work by a force on a curved path.
The length of the string was measured using a meter stick ad it is 0.29 m. The weight of the mass (w) is 4.905
Newtons and the initial height of the mass is 0.12m which is also measured by a meter stick. For trial 1 with the use
of a spring balance, the mass is slowly pulled and 220 N of horizontal force was applied at 15 degrees. The final
height of the mass is 0.14 m. Several trials were performed in order to see how the angle affects the work done;
which is the direction at which the force is applied.

On a curved path, when the horizontal force applied increases, the increase in height increases, and the
work increases as well. For example, in trial 1 the force applied is 220 Newtons, the final height of the mass is
0.14m so the change increase in height is 0.02 m . The angle is 15⁰ and the work done is 0.048 Joules. While in trial
2, the horizontal force applied is 300 Newtons, the final height is 0.16 m so the increase in height is 0.04 m. The
angle is 30⁰ and the work done is 0.19 Joules. From our gathered data that could be seen on table 2 in the
appendices, it could be seen that on a curved path, as the force increases, the angle, and work also increases because
they are directly proportional as seen from the equation of work where it is equal the one minus the angle, multiplied
to the mass and length of the string.

The gravitational potential energy was then calculated by multiplying the mass of the body, to the
acceleration due to gravity and the increase in height of the mass. As the mass of the body, the acceleration due to
gravity and the height increases, the potential energy increases as well for the reason that they are directly
proportional. The mass of the body and the acceleration due to gravity is constant. The height is equal to the final
height minus the initial height; therefore it is called the increase in height. As the increase in height increases in each
trial the gravitational potential energy increases as well because of the position. The potential energy is higher when
the vertical height is high and the kinetic energy is low because the kinetic energy is converted to potential energy as
the object goes up.

When the height is higher there’s more potential energy and less kinetic energy. The increase in height is
0.02 m in trial 1, 0.04 in trial 2, 0.05 in trial 3, and 0.085 in trial 4. There is an increase in the height so the
gravitational potential energy increases as well; it is 0.10 Joules in trial 1, 0.20 Joules in trial 2, 0.25 Joules in trial 3,
and 0.42 Joules in trial 4.
 IV. APPENDICES appendices
i. Graphs, Figures and Tables

TABLE 1: Determining the Force, Work and Power of the Fan cart.
Force of the Fan Cart = Weight of Pan + Weight added = 0.343 N
Trial Displacement Time Work Power
1 0.40 m 1.3869 sec 0.1372 Joules 0.0989 Watts
2 0.45 m 1.4347 sec 0.1544 Joules 0.1076 Watts
3 0.50 m 1.5252 sec 0.1715 Joules 0.1113 Watts
4 0.55 m 1.6721 sec 0.1867 Joules 0.1116 Watts

TABLE 2: Work by a Force on a Curved Path.

Length of String = 0.29 m Weight of Mass = 4.905 N Initial Height = 0.12 m
Gravitational
Final Increase
Trial Force Angle Displacement Work Potential
Height in Height
Energy
1 220 N 0.14 m 0.02 m 15° 0.11 m 0.048 Joules 0.10 Joules
2 300 N 0.16 m 0.04 m 30° 0.14 m 0.19 Joules 0.20 Joules
3 400 N 0.17 m 0.05 m 35° 0.115 m 0.26 Joules 0.25 Joules
4 600 N 0.205 m 0.085 m 45° 0.17 m 0.42 Joules 0.42 Joules

Graph 1: Table 1 Work Vs. Power

0.114

0.112

0.11
Work (Joules)

0.108

0.106

0.104

0.102

0.1

0.098
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16 0.18 0.2
Power (Watts)
Figure
1: Part 1 Instruments Used

Figure 2: Part 2 Instruments Used and Setup

 ii. Sample Computation

Sample Computations:

Part1:

Force of the fan cart = weight of pan + weight added = 0.343N

Displacement = 0.4m

Time = 1.3869sec

W = F*S

= (0.343N)(0.4m)

= 0.1372J

P = W/T

= 0.1372 Joules / 1.3869 s

= 0.0989 Watts

Part 2:

L = 0.29 m

Weight of mass(w) = 4.905N

Initial height(ho) = 0.12m

Force = 220 N

Final height = 0.14 m

Increase in height = 0.02 m

Angle = 15 degrees

Displacement = 0.11 m

Work(W) = wL(1-cosθ)

= (4.905*0.29)[1-cos(15)]

= 0.048 Joules
Gravitational Potential Energy = mgh

= (0.5kg)(9.81m/s2)(0.02m)

= 0.10 Joules

iii. Error Analysis

In our experiment, there are factors that affect the data that we have gathered the makes it different with
what should it be. In the part one of our experiment, as we can see in the Table 1, the power of the fan should be
constant but as you can see in the table, it is different from one another. There are several factors that could cause
this result; one of those is the wheels of the cart. According to the experiment, the cart should be in frictionless state
but the cart that we did have the back wheels sometime stops during the motion which means that there would be a
friction produced and could clearly affect the computation for the power of the fan. In the second part of the
experiment, the possible cause of error is the human factor in inaccurate measurement of the angle because we just
used the small protractor and the height where we used a meter stick where the graduation is inappropriate in
specific experiment.

iv. Guide questions

Part 1.

1. In part 1, should the work done be increasing every trial? Explain

Yes, it should be increasing every trial. It is because in the equation, the work is directly proportional to the
force and the displacement which means if the force or the displacement increases, the work also increases.

2. In part 1, should the power expended be increasing every trial? Explain.

No, power is not increasing every trial. It is because in the given equation, power is directly proportional to
work but it is inversely proportional to time. As the work increases, the time increases as well so the power
doesn’t change. So the power is constant.

Part 2.

1. In figure 6, why is it incorrect to calculate the work done by multiplying the spring balance reading F
and the horizontal displacement x?

It is because there is an angle involved.