PHET Energy Skatepark Measure, Graphs, Playground

DIRECTIONS: Open the MEASURE page of the PHET sim. Click on Pie Chart and Speed, and move the friction slider bar to have at least some friction. Move the skater onto the ramp. Click on the purple measurement device and move it over the purple dots left in the path of the skater to view measurements of energy.

WRITE: What do you notice about how the energy changes as the skater moves up and down the ramp?

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

NGSS.MS-PS3-5

DIRECTIONS: Pause the skater as they slow down, before they turn and their previous path disappears. View the measurement dots along their pathway and choose 2 dots to record below.

WRITE: Record the energy measurements for Kinetic, Potential, and Thermal Energy at two different points. Example:

1st point - going down: Kinetic: ____, Potential: ___, Thermal: ___

2nd point - bottom of ramp: Kinetic: ___, Potential: ___, Thermal: ___

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

NGSS.MS-PS3-5

DIRECTIONS: Increase the gravity and repeat the measurements as before.

WRITE: Record the energy measurements for Kinetic, Potential, and Thermal Energy at two different points, one towards the top of the skater's pathway going down, and one at the bottom of the ramp.

Example:

1st point - going down: Kinetic: ____, Potential: ___, Thermal: ___

2nd point - bottom of ramp: Kinetic: ___, Potential: ___, Thermal: ___

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

NGSS.MS-PS3-2

NGSS.MS-PS3-5

DIRECTIONS: Set the gravity to that of Jupiter (max), and set the mass of the skater to the max level. Measure the energy levels when the skater is near the top of the ramp going down, and near the bottom of the ramp.

WRITE: Record the energy measurements for Kinetic, Potential, and Thermal Energy at two different points, one towards the top of the skater's pathway going down, and one at the bottom of the ramp.

Example:

1st point - going down: Kinetic: ____, Potential: ___, Thermal: ___

2nd point - bottom of ramp: Kinetic: ___, Potential: ___, Thermal: ___

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

NGSS.MS-PS3-5

QUESTION: What is true about when the skater has maximum mass, maximum gravity, and is near the bottom of the ramp?

• Kinetic energy is lowest

• Kinetic energy is highest

• Potential energy is highest

• Total energy is highest

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-4

NGSS.MS-PS3-5

DIRECTIONS: Click on the GRAPHS icon at the bottom of the PHET Sim. Leave all settings at their default level and start the skater at the top of the ramp. Watch the graph as the skater goes down and up a few times. Pause the skater at the top of the ramp before the graph resets.

WRITE: Describe what you notice about the graph.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

NGSS.MS-PS3-5

DIRECTIONS: Click on the track shape that looks like a W under the setting "stick to track." Observe the skater traveling this track and change the mass and gravity settings if needed so the skater makes it over the hill. You can click and drag the red dots to change the shape of the track. Experiment with increasing the size of the hill by moving the middle red dot up and down. Find the maximum height of the hill you can build so that the skater still travels up the hill and down the other side. Click on the grid to see lines labeling the height in meters.

WRITE: What is the max height of the hill you can build where the skater will still make it over the hill? Describe the gravity, mass, and friction settings you used to make this work.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

NGSS.MS-PS3-2

DIRECTIONS: Click the PLAYGROUND icon at the bottom of the PHET Sim and design your own track. Experiment with different designs to build a ramp that allows the skater to travel up and down a few times.

WRITE: Describe the shape of your favorite track you built.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ETS1-1

NGSS.MS-ETS1-2

DIRECTIONS: Design a track that will allow the skateboarder to do a complete circle. You will need to have at least 5 red dots and drag them around so that the skateboarder has enough momentum to continue through the loop. Experiment with changing friction, gravity, and the mass of the skateboarder.

WRITE: Describe your observations. What allowed the skateboarder to effectively travel in a loop? How did changing friction or gravity affect the skateboarder's speed or ability to make it around the loop.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS2-2

NGSS.MS-PS3-1

WRITE: Summarize what you learned from this PHET sim, using at least 3 sentences.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS3-1