Simulations at http://phet.colorado.

edu/

The Skate Basic Park – Intro to Energy Potential and Kinetic PhET Lab
Introduction:
When Tony Hawk wants to launch himself as high as possible off the half-pipe, how does he
achieve this? The skate park is an excellent example of the conservation of energy. The law of
conservation of energy tells us that we can never create or destroy energy, but we can change its
form. In this lab, we will look at the conversion of energy between gravitational-potential energy,
work, and kinetic (or moving) energy.

Procedure: PheT Simulations  Play With Sims  Physics  Energy Skate Park: Basics

Take some time and play with the skater. Turn on the Bar Graph, Pie Chart, and Speed options.

How does increasing skater's mass change the skater’s….

Kinetic Energy? ____________________Potential Energy? ____________________Total Energy? _____________________

How does the skater’s kinetic energy change as he moves down the ramp? _________________________________________

How does the skater’s kinetic energy change as he moves up the ramp? ___________________________________________

How does the skater’s potential energy change as he moves down the ramp? _______________________________________

How does the skater’s potential energy change as he moves up the ramp? __________________________________________

How does the skater’s total energy change as he moves down the ramp? ___________________________________________

How does the skater’s total energy change as he moves up the ramp? _____________________________________________

Describe the skater’s kinetic energy at the bottom of the ramp. _____________________________________

Describe the skater’s potential energy at the bottom of the ramp. ___________________________________

What happens when the skater is dropped onto the ramp from above the ramp? ______________________________________

Observe the following situations. Draw the possible bar graphs for the situation shown. Compare your results with a nearby
lab group, AFTER you have completed this section.

Bottom of the ramp,

Top of the zooming past the middle.
ramp, stopped for just an
instance.
 Simulations at http://phet.colorado.edu/

Mid- 3/4 of
way down the ramp, the way down the ramp,
moving about mid-speed. moving pretty fast.

Draw where the skater might be based on the bar graphs shown. Compare your results with a nearby lab group, AFTER you
have completed this section.

A ← Consider this zany track. What point or points on this track would the skater have ...

D The most kinetic energy? The most potential energy?

B E
The same kinetic energy (two points) and

C
Conclusion Questions: (circle the correct answers)
1. At the highest point kinetic energy is zero / maximum while the potential energy is zero / maximum.
2. At the lowest point kinetic energy is zero / maximum while potential energy is zero / maximum.
3. Mass affects / does not affect the amount of energy.
4. As an object falls in gravity, kinetic energy increases / decreases / remains the same.
5. As an object falls in gravity, potential energy increases / decreases / remains the same.
6. As an object falls in gravity, total energy increases / decreases / remains the same.
7. An object travelling faster and faster has a kinetic energy that increases / decreases / remains the same.
8. An object travelling faster and faster has a potential energy that increases / decreases / remains the same.
9. As an object speeds up, the total energy increases / decreases / remains the same.
10. As an object slows down, the total energy increases / decreases / remains the same.
 Simulations at http://phet.colorado.edu/

The Skate Park – Intro to Energy and Work PhET Lab

Introduction:
In this lab, we will look at the conversion of energy between gravitational-potential energy,
work, and kinetic (or moving) energy. This conversion is work. (Realize though, that in real
life, skateboard wheels have friction. In our experiments, we ignore friction) Energy is
measured in units of Joules.

Important Formulas:
1
KE= 2 mv
2
PE=mgh W = ΔE
Procedure: PheT Simulations  Play With Sims  Energy Skate Park
 Take some time and play with the skater and his track.
 Click on the buttons to show the energy graphs and the pie graphs. These graphs
show the conversion between kinetic energy (green) and potential energy (blue). If any
energy is lost, it will be shown with a red bar (thermal energy lost).
 Reset the skater to the standard half-pipe and observe the energy bars as he moves back and forth (without friction).
 As the skater descends his kinetic energy (green) ____________ and his potential energy (blue) ____________. The
change in kinetic energy is always ______________ to the change in potential energy.

 Change the skater with . Is the law of conservation of energy affected by the mass of the skater? _____
 Does mass of the skater affect the magnitudes of the kinetic and potential energy? _________

Reset and drag the bottom on the half pipe to the bottom of the grid to set the lowest height to zero.
 Turn on the grid. Set the PhET skater (75kg) at 5.0m above the zero and allow him to skate.
 How much potential energy does he have at 5.0m? _________ How much kinetic energy at 0.0m? __________
 A 20.0 kg skater that starts his skate 10m high (on the earth) would have a potential energy of __________ and a kinetic
energy of ________ before his skate. At the lowest point, the skater would have a potential energy of ______ and a
kinetic energy of ________. (hint: use the important formula for potential energy)

Create the skate paths as shown. If the skater starts on the left side, will he have enough energy to make it all the
way to the right side? _________ Why? / Why not? _______________________________________

A
C E If the skater starts on the left on the path here, match the letter here with
the following conditions:
1. Maximum kinetic energy __________
D 2. Maximum potential energy _________
3. Two locations where the skater has about the same speed _____
B

If the skater starts at the top of the ramp on the left, show how high will he be on the right side of the ramp.

Try this in the simulation. Press to zoom out and increase the size of the ramp.
 Simulations at http://phet.colorado.edu/

Part II: Gravity’s affect on Energy

Reset the skater and turn on the pie chart to show kinetic and potential energy.
 Move the skater to Jupiter, where acceleration due to gravity is 26m/s2! Describe what happens to the skater’s
potential and kinetic energy. __________________________________________________________________
 Move the skater to the moon (g = 1.6 m/s2). Why is he moving like he is? ______________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

 Zoom out , increase the size of the ramp, and move the skate to SPACE! Press the arrow keys on your
keyboard. Zoom out some more. Have fun.
Is there potential (mgh) energy in space? _____Why / Why not? ______________________________________

Is there kinetic (½mv2) energy in space? _______Why / Why not? ____________________________________

Conclusion Calculations: (½ pt each) use g = 10. m/s2

Complete the table of kinetic and potential energies:
Mass of skater (m) height (h) velocity (v) Kinetic Energy (KE) Potential Energy (PE)
20. kg 14 m 12 m/s 1. 2.

60. kg 0.0 m 3. 1470 J 4.

0.20 kg 18 m 0.0 m/s 5. 6.

7. 6.0 m 5.0 m/s 8. 600. J

5.0 kg 9. 10. 160 J 850 J

Conclusion Questions: (½ pt each) use g = 10. m/s2

11. At the highest point kinetic energy is zero / maximum while the potential energy is zero / maximum.
12. At the lowest point kinetic energy is zero / maximum while potential energy is zero / maximum.
13. Mass affects / does not affect the conservation of energy.
14. How much potential energy does the 60. kg skater have before she starts her ride, 12 m above the ground? ____
15. How much kinetic energy does a 60.0 kg skater have traveling with a velocity of 4 m/s? ___________________
16. How fast must a 20. kg skater travel to have a kinetic energy of 360 Joules? ____________________________
17. How high must a 2.0 kg basketball be thrown so it has a potential energy of 160 J? _______________________
18. How fast must the 2.0 kg basketball be thrown upward to achieve the same 160 J? _______________________
19. If a 75kg skater starts his skate at 8.0m, at his lowest point, he will have a velocity of _____________________
20. In the above question, all the potential energy became kinetic energy. How much work was done? __________