What are potential and kinetic energy?
National Science Education Standards:
Content Standard A: Science As Inquiry
Content Standard D: Physical Science - Properties of Objects and Materials; Position
and Motion of Objects
This activity helps students experience and observe the relationship between
potential and kinetic energy.
(BACKGROUND INFORMATION)
What do we already know about potential and kinetic energy?
- Potential energy is “stored energy.”
- Potential energy has to do with the position of an object.
- Kinetic energy is energy in motion.
Activity - Rolling Balls
Per Group: two meter sticks, masking tape, stack of books,
golf ball, paper or plastic cup
- Using the masking tape, tape the two meter sticks together. The meter sticks
should be close enough to make a trough or track for the golf ball to roll down.
- Place one end of the meter sticks on a stack of books to create a ramp. The stack
of books should be between 30-40 centimeters high.
- Place the cup at the bottom of the ramp to catch the ball when it reaches the
bottom of the ramp. The cup edge should be touching the ramp.
- Place the golf ball on the track. Hold the golf ball at the 5 centimeter
mark on the meter sticks. Release the ball (be sure that you don’t “push” the
ball, but let gravity “pull” the ball.)
- Measure the distance the cup moved from the end of the ramp. Record this data
in the data table.
- Repeat this step, releasing the ball from the 5 centimeter mark again, for a
total of three tests.
- Release the ball from the 10 centimeter mark on the meter stick. Repeat this
step three times.
- Continue to release the ball at new heights as shown on the data chart. Repeat
each step three times.
- Discuss the answers to the questions below the data table.
| Height of the Release Point |
Distance Traveled by the Cup – Test 1, 2, 3 |
| 5cm |
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| 10cm |
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| 15cm |
|
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| 20cm |
|
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| 25cm |
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| 30cm |
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- Do you see a pattern in your data?
- Based upon this activity, define: potential energy and kinetic energy
- Finish the following statement: As the height of the release point (potential energy)
increases, the kinetic energy of the golf ball at the bottom of the
ramp _______________________.
- How is this activity similar to what Barkley and Ted learned about potential and
kinetic energy when they flew their planes?
Extension:
Try this same activity with different balls. How does the size and mass of the
various balls affect how far the cup travels?
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