Hot Wheels/ Energy conversion lab

Purpose: to mesure the changes of energy as a Hot Wheels car travels down a track

Background: the laws of thermodynamics state that energy is neither created nor
destroyed, simply converted from one form into another. Work is by definition a change
of energy. Work is said to occur if a force causes a change in displacement of an object.

Materials:
Hot Wheels car
Ruler
String
Photogate timer or stopwatch
Scale
Tape

Procedure:

1. Weigh the hot wheels car to find the mass and record your calculations
2. Set up the plastic track
3. Mesure the height of the track (from the surface of the table to the edge of the
top of the track) (m)
4. Mesure the length of the track (from the top edge of the track to the bottom edge
of the track) (m)
5. woh Set up the photo gate timer at the end of the track
6. Place the car at the top of the track
7. Let the car go
8. Record the speed of the car from the photo gate timer
Observations:

Table 1. The speed of a hot wheels car travelling down an inclined track.

Analysis:

1. The gravitational potential energy possessed by the car at the top of the track
can be calculated with the formula : potential energy is equal to mass multiplied
by the acceleration due to gravity multiplied by height. (Ep=mgh) (Where mass is
equal to 0.03355kg, acceleration due to gravity is equal to 9.81 m/s2, and height
is equal to 0.5240)
Ep=mgh

=(0.03355)(9.81)(0.5240)
=0.17246176 joules = 0.1725 joules

The gravitational potential energy possessed by the car at the top of the track is 0.1725
joules.

2. Assuming that the energy is conserved in this system, the theoretical kinetic energy
of the car at the bottom of the track is equal to the gravitational potential energy of the
car at the top of the track.
Ep top = Ek bottom
0.1725 j = 0.1725 j
The theoretical kinetic energy at the bottom of the track is 0.1725 j.
3. The theoretical speed of the car can be calculated with this formula: Speed is equal
to the square root of two times the kinetic energy divided by the mass. Where kinetic
energy is equal to 0.1725 j and mass is equal to 0.03355 kg.
V= (Square root)(2Ek)/m
= (Square root) (2 x 0.1725)/0.03355
=3.2063811 = 3.206m/s

The theoretical speed of the car is 3.206 m/s

4. In this system, energy is not conserved therefore the theoretical speed of the car
(3.206 m/s) is greater than the actual speed of the car (2.801 m/s). This is due to the
loss of energy due to friction and air resistance which is released in the form of heat and
sound as the car travels down the track. In result, the actual speed is less than the
theoretical speed.

5. The actual kinetic energy of the car can be calculated with the formula: kinetic energy
is equal to mass multiplied by speed squared divided by two. (Ek=mv (squared)/2)
Where mass is equal to 0.03355 kg and speed is equal to 2.801 m/s.
Ek=mv(squared)/2

=(0.03355)(2.801) squared/2
=0.1316 joules

6. The theoretical kinetic energy of the car is calculated assuming that energy is
conserved in the system, but due to energy, in actuality, not being conserved in the
system, the actual kinetic energy of the car (0.1316J) is less than the theoretical kinetic
energy (0.1725J). This is caused by the loss of energy due to friction and air resistance
that is released in the forms of heat and sound.

7. The efficiency of the system can be calculated with the formula: percent efficiency is
equal to output energy divided by input energy multiplied by 100. (%eff=(Oe/le) x 100)
where output energy is equal to 0.1316J and input energy is equal to 0.1725J.

(%eff=(Oe/le) x 100)
=(0.1316/0.1725) x 100
=76.31%
The efficiency of the car is 76.31%

Conclusion:

As the hot wheels car travels down the track the energy changed from gravitational
potential energy ( energy stored in the car by position) into kinetic energy (energy of
motion). In addition, energy is ultimately lost due to friction and air resistance in the form
of heat and sound.

In order to increase the efficiency of the system the gap between the actual kinetic
energy and the potential gravitational energy would need to decrease. This can be done
by increasing the actual kinetic energy of the car. Using a frictionless surface for the
track, using a smaller more aerodynamic car, and adding a lubricant to the wheels of
the car are ways that would reduce friction and air resistance which also prevents
energy loss and ultimately increases the efficiency of the system.