Question

When rubber sheets are used in a shock absorber, what happens to the energy of vibration?

Answer 1

Hint: We are asked about the energy in a shock absorber. This can be explained using the property of elastic hysteresis or friction. We can start by defining what a shock absorber is, and according to the mass of conservation of energy, energy cannot be created or destroyed but can only be transformed from one form to another. We can also mention why the rubber is being used.

Complete answer:
Rubber cannot be compressed at all. Rubber components due to their hysteresis, damping, and reversible large deformation characteristics are widely used to block vibration and absorb shock. In addition, rubber also has hysteresis and internal conflict characteristics.

A shock absorber or damper is a mechanical or hydraulic device that is designed in such a way to absorb and damp shock impulses. It does this by converting the kinetic energy of the shock into another form of energy (typically heat) which is then dissipated into the surroundings.

In conclusion, the energy of shock due to vibration absorbed by the rubber sheets is converted to heat. This property of rubber is called "elastic hysteresis". Due to these properties, the rubber sheets are used as shock absorbers.

Note: As rubber is a great absorber of shock waves, it helps in protecting the machine from any damage by absorbing the energy from the vibrations. The energy of vibrations first goes to rubber; it stops it from moving further into the machine by converting the energy into another form, generally as heat energy.