EnergySkatePark Simulator

Learning targets:

  • Predict the kinetic and potential energy of objects.
  • Examine how kinetic and potential energy interact with each other.

Copy the chart in your science notebook: Draw the half pipe with the skater at those points.

Skateboarder Location on track* / Click Button for Bar graph and draw the kinetic potential energy bars
Top of track
/
Ke PE
Middle of track
/
Ke PE
Bottom of track
/
Ke PE

*Before starting the simulation, drag the bottom part of the track so that it touches the ground.

  1. Start the skateboarder simulation. .
  1. Compare what happens to potential energy and kinetic energy as the skater moves up and down the track. What general statement can you make about the relationship between potential and kinetic energy?

General Statement______

Copy Data table two and start the skater at the designated points.

Position of Skater / Result / Possible reasons why it happened.
Right side longer
Skater starts on the right / Result / Possible reasons why it happened
Left side longer
Skater starts on the right / Result / Possible reasons why it happened
Picture of track with loop / Result / Possible reasons why it happened

Wrap up questions:

1. Explain how potential energy differs from kinetic energy.

2. If both a cheetah and a big dog have the same mass and each is running at its top speed, which would have the more kinetic energy, - a cheetah or a dog?

3. Who would have an advantage in a bowling league a skilled bowler who uses a 12 -pound ball or an equally skilled bowler with a 16-pound ball?

4. A truck, a midsize car, and a motorcycle are travelling at 20 m/s. Which vehicle has the greatest kinetic energy? Which vehicle has the least kinetic energy? Explain your answer?

5. Imagine you are in a bicycle race and will ride up three hills identical in height and slope. You will approach the first hill from a long flat road. You will start up the second hill after biking down a short hill. You will hit the third hill after coming down a very steep hill. Which of the three hills will be the easiest to ride up? Why?

6. You are on the bumpy roller coaster. At which moment do you have the greatest gravitational potential energy?? Explain?

A B C

7. At what point did all the marble’s kinetic energy become potential energy?

8. At what point did all the marble’s potential energy become kinetic energy?