You are on page 1of 2

Due October 30th 2014

TA: Andrei Catuneanu

Khadijah Jabari
1000817583

Homework Questions

4. A ball falls to the ground through the air. Is the ball's energy conserved?
For energy to be conserved, it means that in the formula for Total Energy (ET=Eg+Ek) total
energy remains constant. The initial position of the ball has a height greater than zero because it is above
the ground, and a velocity of zero. Because of this, we know that all the energy at this point is made up of
gravitational potential energy (Eg) and no kinetic energy because Ek is zero.
Gravitational potential energy is represented by the formula, Eg=mgh, where m = mass, g=
gravity and h= height. When the ball begins to fall h decreases and therefore so does the value of Eg.
However, we know that when an object is falling, and gravity is acting upon it, it is in fact accelerating
toward the ground, so in a way falling faster towards the ground as time elapses (velocity is no longer
zero but in fact increasing), because of this the value of Ek increases, compensating for the decrease in
Egs value. This allows the value of the total energy (Et) to remain the same value.
When the ball hits the ground, the height is a value of zero, so Eg =0 but because it has been
accelerating this whole time towards the ground, the final velocity of the object is greater than when it
initially began its decent to the ground. This mean that its maximum velocity is quite great and therefore
has increased the value of Ek, again the two value (Eg and Ek) are compensating each other. At this point
Eg is compensated by the fact that all the energy in the ball is now kinetic energy, therefore the total
amount of energy has remained the same from the beginning of the balls decent to the end.
In conclusion, Et has remained constant, therefore energy has been conserved.

5. Object 1 (2) is located on the left (right) and has a net negative (positive) electric charge. What is the
direction of the electric field at the point midway between the objects?

Object one is the net negatively charged object, the direction of the electric field lines are towards
the object, whereas object two, the net positive electrically charged object, has electric field lines
radiating outwardly from the object. W hen these two
objects, with opposite charges are put next to one another,
electric field lines will goo form one to the other, because
of the charges of these objects, the filed lines will be
directed from the positive object to the negative object
Therefore, the direction of the electric field at the midway
point between these two objects is towards the left
(towards the net negative object).

Due October 30th 2014


TA: Andrei Catuneanu

Khadijah Jabari
1000817583

6. You are in Australia and have a compass. In which direction does your compass point? Explain your
answer
North and South attract one another, so in the North Pole the south magnet in the needle of the
compass would be attracted to the North Pole of the world, pointing north. However in the southern
hemisphere, Australias north would be in the opposite direction to say Canada, the south magnet of the
needle would still be attracted to the North Pole but it would be pointing in an opposite direction from
someone in Canada.

You might also like