A slider of mass 0.15 kg is released from rest on one side of a U-shaped track. It moves across the track repeatedly and eventually comes to rest at the lowest point.
The table shows the slider's vertical height above the lowest point at three turning points.
| Turning point | Vertical height above the lowest point in m\mathrm{m}m |
|---|---|
| release | 1.20 |
| after crossing the lowest point once | 0.92 |
| after crossing the lowest point twice | 0.70 |
The gravitational field strength is 10 N kg-1.
Explain what happens to energy as the slider moves across the track. Calculate the energy dissipated between the release point and the first turning point, and between the first and second turning points. Use your results to explain why the slider eventually comes to rest at the lowest point, and how this is consistent with conservation of energy.
121 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Physics 3.1 Energy stores and calculations, covering 3.1.1 Gravitational potential energy, 3.1.2 Kinetic energy, and 3.1.3 Energy transfers and conservation of energy. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.