Exploration 7.1: Push a Cart Around

Please wait for the animation to completely load.

The cart in the animation interacts with the two-handed image if the image is near the left-hand or right-hand end of the cart (position is given in meters and time is given in seconds).  Move the image from side to side and observe the resulting graph.  The arrow below the cart shows the direction and strength of the force.  Restart the animation if the cart goes off screen.  Restart.

Define the system to be just the cart and answer the following questions assuming that you are moving the cart around with the "handy" image.

1. Is the energy of the system constant?  If not, where is it coming from?
2. Does the energy always decrease if the image is to the right of the cart?  Does it increase if the image is to the left of the cart?

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