ONB QUIZ: ENERGY Activities 1-3 & Vocab

Aiden, Noah, and Aria were playing a game of catch in the park. Aiden threw the ball high into the air. The ball followed a path similar to the diagram in their physics textbook. Letters A, B, C, and D represent different locations in the path that the ball traveled.

At which location did the ball have the greatest potential energy?

• C

• D

• B

• A

Answer explanation

Kinetic energy is about speed, but potential energy is related to the height above the ground.

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NGSS.MS-PS2-4

Lily, Charlotte, and Arjun are at an amusement park. They notice that the roller coaster they are about to ride has two peaks. They start discussing the potential energy of the roller coaster at the top of the first peak compared to the potential energy at the top of the second peak. They conclude that the potential energy of the roller coaster at the top of the second peak is

• 1. less because the second peak is at a lower elevation than the first.

• less because the second peak has a more gentle slope than the first.

• greater because the second peak is at a lower elevation than the first.

• greater because the second peak has a more gentle slope than the first.

Answer explanation

Potential energy is defined as the stored energy due to an object's position. An increase in an object's height cause a subsequential increase in the object's potential energy. Therefore, the potential energy of the roller coaster at the top of hill 2 is less than that when the roller coaster is at the top of hill 2 because the roller coaster is at a lower elevation or height above ground.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-2

Imagine David, Abigail, and Aiden are playing with a spring. They stretch it and then let it go, just like in the diagram. Can you tell which statement accurately describes the changes in the spring's potential or kinetic energy during this fun experiment?

• The spring's kinetic energy decreases throughout the entire process.

• The spring's kinetic energy remains the same throughout the entire process.

• The spring's potential energy decreases until David releases it (step Y), and then it increases.

• The spring's potential energy increases until Abigail releases it (step Y), and then it decreases.

Answer explanation

Kinetic energy is energy of motion. Elastic potential energy increases as the spring expands (through step Y), but decreases when the spring is released.

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NGSS.MS-PS3-1

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Four people return home from work and walk up the stairs to their own apartments in the same building. Which person has gained the most gravitational potential energy upon arriving at the door of his or her apartment?

• a 50 kg person who lives on the second floor

• a 50 kg person who lives on the third floor

• a 100 kg person who lives on the second floor

• a 100 kg person who lives on the third floor

Answer explanation

Gravitational potential energy is dependent on mass and height.

The 100 kg person who lives on the third floor has gained the most gravitational potential energy because he has the most mass and the greatest displacement from ground level.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-2

When an archer fires an arrow from a traditional bow, the string of the bow does not change length. As shown in the diagram, the archer pulls back on the string (Step 1), changing the curve of the bow (Step 2). When the archer releases the string, the bow returns to its original shape (Step 3).

How does the elastic potential energy in the bow change as the archer fires an arrow?

• It decreases from Step 1 to Step 2, then increases to Step 3.

• It increases from Step 1 to Step 2, then decreases to Step 3.

• It remains constant from Step 1 to Step 2, then increases to Step 3.

• It remains constant from Step 1 to Step 2, then decreases to Step 3.

Answer explanation

Elastic potential energy in an object changes as a result of bending, compressing or changing the shape of the object. The archer adds potential energy to the bow by pulling on the string and changing the bow’s shape. When the archer releases the string, the bow resumes its original shape, losing the added potential energy.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-2

The step listed in the diagram that shows that the kinetic energy of the arrow is greater than the elastic potential energy of the bow is (a)  

• step 3
• step 1
• step 2

Answer explanation

An object that is not moving has zero kinetic energy.

The arrow is not moving in Steps 1 and 2 and therefore has zero kinetic energy. Step 3 shows the arrow moving through the air; therefore the arrow has kinetic energy. At this same step the bow has returned to its rest position having transferred energy to the arrow. The kinetic energy of the arrow is now greater than the elastic potential energy of the bow.

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An archer positions an arrow on the string of a traditional bow. The table shows the steps the archer takes to fire the arrow.

Which of the following graphs correctly illustrate the elastic potential energy of the bow for Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3?

• 
• 
• 
• 

Answer explanation

When the string on a bow is pulled back elastic potential energy is added to the bow. The farther the string is drawn back the greater the potential energy. In this item, Step 1 has less elastic potential energy than Step 2. Step 3 has no elastic potential energy because the string is no longer stretched.

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NGSS.MS-PS3-2

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A box is dragged to the top of an incline, as shown in the diagram. Compared to the gravitational potential energy of the box at the bottom of the ramp, the gravitational potential energy of the box at the top of the incline

• is less.

• is greater.

• remains the same.

• cannot be determined.

Answer explanation

Gravitational potential energy depends on height.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-2

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A bicycle speeds up as it moves along a flat road. During this time, the bicycle’s kinetic energy​ (a)  

• increases.
• decreases.
• remains the same.

Answer explanation

Kinetic energy is the energy of motion.

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The best way to describe kinetic energy is to say that kinetic energy is the ​ (a)  

• energy of motion.
• energy of nutrition.
• total energy of an object.

Answer explanation

Kinetic energy is energy that is doing work. It is the energy that an object has because of its motion.

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NGSS.MS-PS3-1