Investigation of energy conservation using poppers

Abstract

Rudolf Clausius proposed that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. This proposal is the basis of the first law of thermodynamics, the conservation of energy. This law indicates that for an object undergoing vertical motion, the initial kinetic energy is equal to the gravitational potential energy at the highest point in an ideal system. Therefore, we tested the validity of his claim. We measured a popper toy’s velocity immediately after launching and at its maximum height using video digitization. We then calculated its mechanical energy to test whether energy was conserved throughout the launch. We carried out a one-sample t-test using the differences in mechanical energy to determine whether the energies at both flight points were equal. The analysis provided no statistically significant evidence that the mechanical energy of the popper was not conserved, which is consistent with Clausius’ theory of conservation of energy.