Conservation of Mechanical Energy Track: Dual Racing Marbles
Why did one ball beat the other to the end of the track?
Lab Result: When two balls were raced simultaneously, the track with the dip finished first.
Explanation:
The ball on the track with the dip finishes first because it gains more gravitational potential energy as it goes down the dip, which is then converted into kinetic energy, making it move faster. In contrast, the ball on the level track maintains a consistent speed as it has less change in its gravitational potential energy.
When one of the marbles goes down the dip in the track, it gains additional gravitational potential energy by moving to a lower height. This extra energy is then converted into kinetic energy, resulting in increased speed compared to the marble on the level track. As a result, the marble on the track with the dip finishes first due to the conversion of gravitational potential energy into kinetic energy.