Name____________________ Block________
Date______________
Inquiry Lab: What is your power output when you climb the
stairs?
A student was curious about what is his power output was when he walked up the stairs to the
second floor of his high school. He had been learning about work and power in her physical
science class, so he knew how to calculate it. He and one of his friends stayed after school one
day to collect data, so that he could perform his calculations. The following is his data:
His weight: 68kg
Step
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Distance (m)
0.25
0.50
0.75
1.00
1.25
1.50
1.75
2.00
Time (s)
0.3
0.7
1.2
1.8
2.2
2.5
3.0
3.5

What are the equations for force, work, and power output?

Did he collect enough data to calculate the work and power output? If not, what other
data should he have collected? If not, also complete the table with the additional data that
you think that is needed.

Calculate the force exerted by the student as he walks up the stairs?
Let’s now use Microsoft Excel to calculate the work and power values and to generate a work vs.
time plot.
1. Calculate the work and power at each step
2. Generate a scatter plot of the work (y-axis) vs. time (x-axis) with a trendline
Name____________________ Block________
Date______________
After completing the plot, answer the following questions:

What value does the slope of the work vs. time plot represent? Why?

How would your power output change if you walked up the stairs faster?

How would your power output change if you climbed the stairs in the same amount of
time while carrying a stack of books weighing 20N?