let’s say a marble that weighed 0.006 kg was on a 1 m tall ramp. It went down the ramp at a velocity of 4.4 (m/s) and went through a loop with a height of 0.25 m. The marbles ending velocity as it was at the end of the loop and end of the ramp was at a velocity of 1.7 (m/s). Calculate the amount of kinetic energy the marble has at the bottom of the drop.

Question

let’s say a marble that weighed 0.006 kg was on a 1 m tall ramp. It went down the ramp at a velocity of 4.4 (m/s) and went through a loop with a height of 0.25 m. The marbles ending velocity as it was at the end of the loop and end of the ramp was at a velocity of 1.7 (m/s). Calculate the amount of kinetic energy the marble has at the bottom of the drop.

Should your kinetic energy amount ever been more than the potential energy at the beginning? why or why not? Explain in 1 sentence

Answer 1

To calculate the kinetic energy at the bottom of the drop, we first need to calculate the potential energy at the beginning. The potential energy at the beginning can be calculated using the formula PE = mgh, where m is the mass (0.006 kg), g is the acceleration due to gravity (9.8 m/s²), and h is the height of the ramp (1 m).

PE = 0.006 kg * 9.8 m/s² * 1 m = 0.0588 J
The kinetic energy at the bottom of the drop can be calculated using the formula KE = 0.5mv², where m is the mass (0.006 kg) and v is the velocity at the bottom (1.7 m/s).
KE = 0.5 * 0.006 kg * (1.7 m/s)² = 0.01029 J

The kinetic energy at the bottom of the drop should never be more than the potential energy at the beginning because energy is conserved in a closed system, and any loss in potential energy (due to the height decrease) is converted into an equivalent gain in kinetic energy (due to the velocity increase).