Potential and Kinetic Energy

Overview

Link to Experience: https://play.phenomena.app/player/Tnjsr8ZDdtqSWqZz9JGM

Topics: physics, potential energy, kinetic energy, gravitational acceleration, mass

Grades: 8-10

Standards:

Duration to complete: 5-10 minutes

Learning outcome: Students will understand the interplay between potential and kinetic energy, and how each is calculated.

In the Classroom

Pre-Experience (Things to Look Out For):

• Have you ever heard of potential energy? What do you think it is?

• When would an object have the most potential energy? The least?

• How about kinetic energy, what do you think it is?

• When would an object have the most kinetic energy? The least?

• This experience presents potential and kinetic energy together — why do you think that is? Do they have any kind of relationship?

Post-Experience (Things to Think About):

• How do you think factors like friction affect the energy of a system?

• How do you think Bruno's motion would differ on a planet with a lesser gravitational acceleration?

• Where would Bruno have to start if he wants to go flying up in the air off one side of the halfpipe?

• Can you ever have more energy in the system than what you initially started with?

• What are some real-world contexts in which properly calculating potential and kinetic energy is critical?