Work, Energy & Power · Interactive

Energy Track

A ball is released from a hill and rides a frictionless (or not) track through a valley, a vertical loop, and a run-out. Its height buys speed and its speed buys height — kinetic and potential energy trading places, capped by whatever the loop demands.

■ Kinetic ■ Potential ■ Total Ball on a track · gravity g = 9.8 m/s²

Setup

Release height h 5.0 m
Loop radius R 1.50 m
Friction μ 0.00
Mass m 1.0 kg
0.0 m/s
Current speed v
0.0
KE (J)
0.0
PE (J)
0.0
height (m)
—
loop status
KE0 J
PE0 J
TOTAL0 J
mgh = ½mv² loop: v_top² ≥ gR E = KE+PE

Playback

Try this: turn on friction and watch the amber Total bar shrink each pass as heat bleeds away — the ball settles in the valley. Or lower the release height until v_top² < gR and the ball stalls before the top of the loop and rolls back.