Ok I'm not entirely sure that I've got this question right so I would appreciate any help, so here it goes the question asks 'what energy transformations takes place on a high striker (a fairground activity in which a person hits a lever with a heavy hammer; the lever propels a mass up a vertical scale and the strike is powerful enough, the mass will ring a bell at the top).

I'm guessing that the answer is: potential energy is gained by raising the hammer up high. This is converted into kinetic energy when the hammer is swung and when it strikes the lever the kinetic energy is transformed back into potential energy as the mass rises eventually falling down back into kintice energy. However if mass strikes bell, some of the potential energy is converted into sound energy.

Thanks

So far, I don't see anything wrong... except that it is kinetic energy is converted to sound instead of potential energy since the mass stops going up after striking the bell.

In fact, the mass transfers its kinetic energy to the bell, which then vibrates with its kinetic energy, producing sound.

I would add that when the hammer strikes the lever its kinetic energy is transferred into KE that is split between the lever and the mass, although some KE is lost through heat as it is not a perfectly elastic impact between hammer and lever. The KE that was imparted to the lever is eventually lost to heat as the end of the lever strikes the ground, which is again not an elastic impact. So the initial KE of the mass is less than what the KE of the hammer was.

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Originally Posted by scorpion53

Ok im not entirely sure that ive got this question right so I would appreciate any help, so here it goes the question asks 'what energy transformations takes place on a high striker (a fairground activity in which a person hits a lever with a heavy hammer; the lever propels a mass up a vertical scale and the strike is powerful enough, the mass will ring a bell at the top).

I'm guessing that the answer is: potential energy is gained by raising the hammer up high. This is converted into kinetic energy when the hammer is swung and when it strikes the lever the kinetic energy is transformed back into potential energy as the mass rises eventually falling down back into kintice energy. However if mass strikes bell, some of the potential energy is converted into sound energy.

Thanks

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OK, so effectively potential energy is gained by raising the hammer up high. This is converted into kinetic energy when the hammer is swung and when it strikes the lever the kinetic energy is transformed back into potential energy as the mass rises eventually falling down back into kinetic energy. However if mass strikes bell, some of the kinetic energy is converted into sound energy.
(So basically, potential->kinetic->potential->kinetic->Sound)?

Some to sound, then the potential energy acquired is reconverted to kinetic as the mass falls.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by scorpion53

OK, so effectively potential energy is gained by raising the hammer up high. This is converted into kinetic energy when the hammer is swung and when it strikes the lever the kinetic energy is transformed back into potential energy as the mass rises eventually falling down back into kinetic energy. However if mass strikes bell, some of the kinetic energy is converted into sound energy.
(So basically, potential->kinetic->potential->kinetic->Sound)?

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Actually it IS KE: As long as it is moving, it is KE. However, KE is decreasing as it raises due to acceleration of gravity ( -9.8 m/s ) and PE increasing, and it is only fully PE when it is at the top, hitting the bell, and not moving for an instant. When it starts to fall, PE decreases and KE raises as it's happening, the faster it falls, the more PE is converted into KE.