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I'm teaching a lesson soon on levers. I want to show that energy is theI might try setting a meter stick with a central pivot and a 500 gm mass on one end and a 1kg mass the other end. I point to the potential energy at the high mass, and when I slide the 1 kg mass in far enough towards the pivot, I can show that the potential energy at the 500 gm mass is transferred to the 1 kg mass as it is lifted to the higher position...
same on one side of the lever vs the other even though the force is
amplified.
In addition to going through the math with them ( f1 * d1 = f2 * d2 ),
I want to prove the energy is the same in an observable way.
Does anyone have a good idea for how to show the energy input on one side
of the lever and the energy output on the other side? I can show the force
input & output by hooking up newton meters, but how can I do this for
energy?
Here is a bad idea just to help show what I mean: I heat up 1 cup of water
on side A by 10 degrees, this gets turned into motion (somehow) which moves
the long arm of the lever a lot, then the short arm moves a little, and
cools down a cup of water on side B by the same 10 degrees.
Is there some workable way like this that I can show, or directly measure,
the "energy" being inputted and outputted on both sides of the lever?
-Doug