Ramp Question: Calculating Energy Lost and Friction Coeff.

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The discussion revolves around calculating the energy lost by a ball sliding down a ramp, where the expected distance traveled was 151 cm, but the actual distance was only 105 cm. The user understands that the energy at the top consists solely of gravitational energy, while the energy at the bottom includes gravitational energy, kinetic energy, sound energy, and thermal energy due to friction. They express difficulty in calculating the energy lost without a mass value, as they cannot find a way to eliminate mass from the equations. Additionally, they seek assistance in determining the coefficient of friction between the ball and the ramp. The conversation highlights the challenges of applying energy conservation principles in practical scenarios.
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Homework Statement


Hey guys, I've got a question regarding energy lost from sliding downa ramp.
Here's the situation:

35buy4h.jpg


The expected distance for the ball to travel I calculated to be 151 cm, it actually only traveled 105 cm after leaving the ramp. We were asked to calculate the energy lost while sliding down the ramp using only that information and the given heights (60 and 95 cm).

I know that the energy at the top must equal the energy at the bottom, but that the energy at the bottom would be composed of Kinetic energy, sound energy, thermal energy (friction) and gravitational energy, while the top would just be gravitational energy. Based on this I said that GE = GE + KE + x (x = amount of lost energy). I can calculate the GE and the KE but we weren't given a mass and I can't find a way to make mass cancel.

The second part of the question was to determine the coefficient of friction between the ball and the ramp.

If anyone could help me out with this question that'd be great.

Thanks
 
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