Where Does Lost Energy from Golf Ball Go on Carpet?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the energy transfer of a golf ball when it bounces on different surfaces, specifically comparing concrete and carpet. Participants are exploring the concept of energy loss and what happens to that energy upon impact with the carpet.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Conceptual clarification

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants are attempting to understand where the energy goes when a golf ball bounces on carpet, with some suggesting it may be stored as potential energy in the carpet. Others question the behavior of the carpet upon impact and its ability to recoil, leading to discussions about kinetic energy transfer.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with various interpretations being explored regarding the energy dynamics involved. Some participants have offered insights about kinetic energy transfer and the implications of the carpet's movement, but there is no explicit consensus on the mechanisms at play.

Contextual Notes

There is an underlying assumption that the energy lost by the ball must be accounted for, but the specifics of how this energy is transformed or dissipated remain unclear. Participants are also considering the physical properties of the carpet and its response to the impact.

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Homework Statement


A golf ball will bounce much higher on concrete than on carpet. What happens to this lost energy?


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The Attempt at a Solution


The carpet stores it as potential energy?
 
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What happens to the carpet as the ball hits it?
 
It sinks in, but then it recoils, so I would think that it would relinquish any potential energy it had then.
 
Gawd... I'm not actually too sure myself come to think of it. My understanding is that some of the kinetic energy of the ball would be transferred to kinetic energy in the carpet.

It will be related to impulse somehow; working in a similar way to a crumple zone on a car.

I could be totally astray though; will be interested to see someone else's response.
 
Well, when it recoils, it moves, so I suppose that if enough of it moved and if it was massive enough, that would make sense.
 

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