Phet Energy Skatepark

Phet Energy Skatepark

​GELL

​Goal: Students will be able to identify the relationship between potential and kinetic energy.

​Evidence: Quizizz responses

​Learning Experience:

​1.) Pretest

​2.) Prelab Reading

​3.) Phet Simulation

​4.) Post lab questions

​

​Learning Environment: Students can complete this activity synchronously or asynchronously.

Match

Match the following

• Potential Energy

• Kinetic Energy

• Thermal Energy

• Transfer

• Transform

Stored Energy

Movement Energy

Heat Energy

To move from one place to another

To change completely

• Stored Energy

• Movement Energy

• Heat Energy

• To move from one place to another

• To change completely

Multiple Choice

What is potential energy?

• stored energy

• energy relating to motion

• the total energy an object has: the sum of kinetic energy and potential energy

Multiple Choice

What is kinetic energy?

• stored energy

• energy relating to motion

• the total energy an object has: the sum of kinetic energy and potential energy

Multiple Choice

What is mechanical energy?

• stored energy

• energy relating to motion

• the total energy an object has: the sum of kinetic energy and potential energy

​Potential Energy - Stored Energy

• Baseball pitchers store up energy before throwing a powerful pitch

​Kinetic Energy - Energy Relating to Motion

• ​When the pitcher throws the ball, potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy.

​Mechanical Energy - Sum of PE+KE

• ​When you add potential and kinetic energy together you get mechanical energy

​Gravitational Potential Energy

• ​Energy stored due to an object's position above ground.

• ​The higher off the ground an object is, the more potential energy it has.

Open Ended

Fill in the blanks: The Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy cannot be cr____d or de______d 

​Law of Conservation of Energy

• ​Energy cannot be created or destroyed.

• This means that the total amount of energy in the universe will always stay the same.

  ​If energy cannot be created or destroyed then energy must be transFERRed between objects or transFORMed into a different type of energy entirely.

​Procedure:

• ​Open the Phet Energy Skatepark simulation and select INTRO

• ​Click the green plus next to Energy in the top left corner.

• ​Select the Pie Chart box in the top right corner

​Procedure:

• ​Drag the skater to the top of one side, then let them go.

• Observe the energy bar graph as they go back and forth.

• Don't touch any other dials just yet

Multiple Choice

When does the skater have the most POTENTIAL ENERGY?

• at the top of the ramp

• at the bottom of the ramp

Multiple Choice

When does the skater have the most KINETIC ENERGY?

• at the top of the ramp

• at the bottom of the ramp

Multiple Choice

When does the skater have the least POTENTIAL ENERGY?

• at the top of the ramp

• at the bottom of the ramp

Multiple Choice

When does the skater have the least KINETIC ENERGY?

• at the top of the ramp

• at the bottom of the ramp

​Procedure:

• ​While the skater is moving, change the MASS using the slider on the right side. Observe the energy graphs.

Multiple Choice

If mass increases, what happens to POTENTIAL ENERGY levels?

• increase

• decrease

• stay constant 

Multiple Choice

If mass increases, what happens to KINETIC ENERGY levels?

• increase

• decrease

• stay constant 

Multiple Choice

If mass increases, what happens to MECHANICAL ENERGY (TOTAL) levels?

• increase

• decrease

• stay constant 

Multiple Choice

When the skater is at the TOP of the ramp, what are the POTENTIAL ENERGY levels?

• high

• low

Multiple Choice

When the skater is at the TOP of the ramp, what are the KINETIC ENERGY levels?

• high

• low

Multiple Choice

When the skater is at the BOTTOM of the ramp, what are the POTENTIAL ENERGY levels?

• high

• low

Multiple Choice

When the skater is at the BOTTOM of the ramp, what are the KINETIC ENERGY levels?

• high

• low

Multiple Choice

As the skater moves UP the ramp the KINETIC ENERGY...

• increases

• decreases

• stays constant

Multiple Choice

As the skater moves UP the ramp the POTENTIAL ENERGY...

• increases

• decreases

• stays constant

Multiple Choice

As the skater moves UP the ramp the MECHANICAL ENERGY...

• increases

• decreases

• stays constant

Multiple Choice

 As the skater moves DOWN the ramp the KINETIC ENERGY...

• increases

• decreases

• stays constant

Multiple Choice

 As the skater moves DOWN the ramp the POTENTIAL ENERGY...

• increases

• decreases

• stays constant

Multiple Choice

 As the skater moves DOWN the ramp the MECHANICAL ENERGY...

• increases

• decreases

• stays constant

Multiple Choice

What is the relationship between kinetic and potential energy?

• as kinetic energy increases, potential energy decreases.

• as kinetic energy increases, potential energy also increases.

• as kinetic energy decreases, potential energy also decreases.

Open Ended

What evidence supports your answer from the previous question?

​Procedure:

• ​Check the "speed" box in the upper right hand corner.

• ​Check the "slow" button at the bottom next to the play button.

• ​Pay attention to speed and kinetic energy

Multiple Select

What is the relationship between SPEED and KINETIC ENERGY? (select two)

• as speed increases kinetic energy decreases

• as speed increases kinetic energy also increases

• as speed decreases, kinetic energy also decreases

Multiple Choice

What happens to MECHANICAL ENERGY (total) as time passes?

• increases

• decreases

• stays constant

​Procedure:

• ​Move the "friction" slider to the middle

Open Ended

Compare the skater's movements BEFORE and AFTER you added FRICTION.

Open Ended

How does the movement of the skater change with a SMALL amount of FRICTION versus a LARGE amount of FRICTION?

Multiple Choice

Which ball has more POTENTIAL ENERGY?

• A

• B

• C 

Multiple Choice

Which ball will have more KINETIC ENERGY when it is released towards the ground?

• A

• B

• C

Open Ended

Why does the MECHANICAL ENERGY (total) of the skater not change over time? (Think about Law of Conservation of Energy)

Open Ended

Based on what you observed in the simulation, what factors affect POTENTIAL ENERGY?

Open Ended

Based on what you observed in the simulation, what factors affect KINETIC ENERGY?

Open Ended

Describe a situation in a basketball game when a player has a lot of POTENTIAL ENERGY. Explain.

Open Ended

Describe a situation in a basketball game when a player has a lot of KINETIC ENERGY. Explain.