Energy changes in a system, and the ways energy is stored before and after such changes

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Question 17
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In an amusement park ride, a passenger capsule is attached to two stretched elastic cords. The cords behave like ideal springs.

Diagram showing an amusement park slingshot ride. On the left, 'Before release', a capsule is on the ground between two tall vertical support towers. Two highly stretched elastic cords connect the capsule on the ground to the tops of the towers, forming a V-shape. On the right, 'After release', the capsule has been shot high into the air, reaching its maximum height, with the elastic cords slack and curved downwards from the tops of the towers to the capsule which is now above the level of the tower tops.

Before the capsule is released, the extension of each of the two elastic cords is 10 m10\text{ m}10 m.

The spring constant of each elastic cord is 490 N/m490\text{ N/m}490 N/m.

The total mass of the capsule and passengers is 200 kg200\text{ kg}200 kg.

The gravitational field strength is g=9.8 N/kgg = 9.8\text{ N/kg}g=9.8 N/kg.

a.

State the energy store that increases as the elastic cords are stretched.

[1]
b.

Calculate the maximum height reached by the capsule, assuming no energy is lost to the surroundings.

[4]
c.

In reality, the actual maximum height reached by the capsule is lower than this calculated value. Explain why.

[2]

Energy changes in a system, and the ways energy is stored before and after such changes Questions

  1. GCSE
  2. /Physics
  3. /Energy changes in a system, and the ways energy is stored before and after such changes