A person slides down a slope. At the end of their slide they are brought gently to rest by a large spring. Friction on the slope cannot
be ignored. Draw an energy bar chart for this situation. Define your system
any way you want, but clearly state how you have defined your system.
For my bar graph,
On initial energy I have: Ki, Ugi and friction
On final energy I have: ugf and E thermal
I am not sure if that is right?
To create an energy bar chart for this situation, you need to consider the various forms of energy involved and how they change throughout the process. Let's define your system as the person sliding down the slope.
The initial energy of the system includes:
1. Kinetic Energy (Ki): This is the energy associated with the person's motion as they start sliding down the slope.
2. Gravitational Potential Energy (Ugi): This is the energy that the person has due to their position above the ground.
3. Friction: Friction is a non-conservative force that acts against the motion of the person. It converts some of the initial energy into other forms such as thermal energy.
The final energy of the system includes:
1. Final Kinetic Energy (Ugf): This is the energy associated with the person's motion when they come to rest at the end of the slide.
2. Thermal Energy (E thermal): This is the energy dissipated as heat due to friction between the person and the slope and any other sources of friction.
Here is a breakdown of the energy bar chart for this situation:
Initial Energy:
- Ki (Kinetic Energy)
- Ugi (Gravitational Potential Energy)
- Friction (transforms some initial energy into other forms)
Final Energy:
- Ugf (Final Kinetic Energy)
- E thermal (Thermal Energy)
It's important to note that this energy bar chart assumes no other external forces or energy sources are involved, apart from friction.