Product Summary
A ball is dropped from rest and its height and speed are recorded using a Motion Sensor. The ball’s potential energy and kinetic energy are calculated at various points during the ball’s fall.
The total energy of the ball is examined throughout the fall to determine if there is any change. Balls of different sizes are used to vary the amount of air friction, so that students can see that energy is not conserved when friction is appreciable.
Concepts
- Potential energy of a falling ball
- Kinetic energy of a falling ball
- Conservation of energy
What's Included
Data Collection Software
This product requires PASCO software for data collection and analysis. We recommend the following option(s). For more information on which is right for your classroom, see our Software Comparison: SPARKvue vs. Capstone »
Interface Required
This product requires a PASCO Interface to connect to your computer or device. We recommend the following option(s). For a breakdown of features, capabilities, and additional options, see our Interface Comparison Guide »
Experiments
Experiment Library
Perform the following experiments and more with the Conservation of Energy II Experiment.
Visit PASCO's Experiment Library to view more activities.
College • High School / Physics
The student observes a falling object and compares its kinetic and gravitational potential and total energies as it falls. The student also demonstrates that mechanical energy is approximately conserved unless the object’s density...
