Name: ______Block: ______
Energy Skate Park – Virtual Lab
Instructions:
1. Go to the website: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/energy-skate-park
2. Click the Picture on the screen and download the Energy Skate Park Applet.
3. Create a ramp like the one shown that is 10 meters tall. Follow the steps below and make sure the ramp does not touch the ground.
a. Click the Grid box on the right side of the screen.
b. You can drag the blue dots on the ramp to change the location and height of the ramp.
c. Click the “Measuring Tape” box to place a measuring tape of the screen. You can drag each end of the Tape to find the length/height of the ramp.
4. Drop the skater from the top of the ramp so that he reaches the top of the ramp on the other side and comes back again.
5. Open the ‘Energy vs. Position’ graph and zoom out until the y-axis reads 9000 J. Wait until a full set of data has been collected and use this graph to fill in the information in the table below.
PhET Skater / Star Skater / Bulldog / BugMaximum potential energy
Minimum potential energy
Maximum kinetic energy
1. Which of the skaters had the most energy?
2. Why did this skater have the most energy?
3. Why does the total energy line remain flat?
6. Set up your ramp so that it looks like the one shown.
a. You can add track by clicking the yellow box at the top of the screen.
b. Each dot should be two blocks right and two blocks down from the previous dot.
7. Drop the skater from each of the dots on the ramp, starting from the top, and complete the table below.
8. Use the Potential Energy vs. position graph to fill in the data table below. You may need to zoom in and out on each axis to see all the data.
Dot / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6Max. potential energy
Max. kinetic energy
1. What was the effect on the skater’s maximum potential energy when he was placed further down the ramp?
2. Explain why this happened.
3. What was the effect on the skater’s maximum kinetic energy when he was placed further down the ramp?
4. Explain why this happened. (Note: it is not because of the height)
9. Set up your ramp so that it looks like the one shown.
10. In the table below record the maximum potential energy for each of the skaters at the top of the loop. Repeat this on the Moon, and on Jupiter. You will need to place the skater at the top of the ramp each time you change location.
PhET Skater / Star Skater / Bulldog / BugEarth
Moon
Jupiter
8. Explain why the maximum potential energy of the skaters was different at each location.
9. What are the values of gravity on Earth, on the Moon and on Jupiter?
10. a) Increase the friction on the track and explain what effect this has on the total energy of the skater.
b) What type of energy is the friction causing the other energy to transform into?