Bridge Program in Science

MODULE 8

Energy in the Playground

and Amusement Park

When you think of your

local playground or your local amusement park, what comes to your mind? Of course fun, fun
and fun. But do you know that you can do science while having fun? In many of the local
playground and amusement park rides, conservation of energy is the most prominent aspect of
science that govern them. Why does a swing or a roller coaster for instance manage to move
the way they do when they are not connected to an engine? That is one of the things that you
will find out in this module. So, come on kids and let us do science with your playground or
amusement park rides in mind so the next time you go there, you will be looking at them in
another way.

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What this module is all about

The module will bring you into the understanding of how energy influences the
motion of some of the playground and amusement park rides.

What you are expected to learn

After going through this module, you should be able to:

1. name the two types of energy and differentiate one from the other;
2. identify the different types of energy in the playground and amusement park rides
and the energy transformation taking place in them;
3. explain what is meant by the phrase “energy is conserved”; and
4. discuss how energy conservation influences the motion of some of the
playground and amusement park rides.

How to learn from this module

1. You will successfully achieve the objectives of this module if you will go through
the lessons thoroughly and follow instructions correctly.

2. Understand the following concepts/ideas:

Concepts/Ideas Meaning
Energy Energy is the capacity to do work.
Potential Potential energy is the energy possessed by an object
Energy (PE) because of its height above the ground.
Kinetic Energy Kinetic energy is the energy possessed by an object
(KE) because of its motion.
Energy The conversion of energy from one type or form to
transformation another.
Law of Energy can not be created nor destroyed.
conservation of
energy

What do you already know

There are questions found on pages 25 to 26. You have to answer these
questions before you start with the lessons. Write your answers on a
separate sheet of pad paper and submit to your teacher when you are
through.

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What you should learn

Lesson 8.1 What is Energy?

In the previous module, you have learned the scientific definition of work. Is
work done by the objects in (A) and (B) on the nails in Figure 8.1 below? If yes, which
one has done more work? Why? Both objects have done work since the nail in both
cases were pushed down. By looking at the drawing, it is in (A) where the nail was
pushed deeper, therefore, the object in (A) did more work than the object in (B). Recall
that movement in the direction of the applied force indicates that work is done. But what
makes someone or an object do work on another?

Figure 8.1 An object released from a certain height above the ground pushed
the nail deeper into the ground.

Look at the drawing again. What do you think is the reason why the object in (A)
was able to push the nail deeper? If the object is released just on top of the nail, will it be
able to push the nail? Maybe, but maybe just a little.
In the figure, the nail in (A) was pushed deeper because the object in (A) was at
a higher position with respect to the ground than in (B). Any object above the ground
possesses energy due to its position. This type of energy is called gravitational potential

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energy. Most of the time we simply call it potential energy. It is the reason why the
objects in (A) and (B) were able to do work on the nails. That is why, energy is defined
as the capacity to do work. Joule (J) is the unit of energy, just like work, which is named
after a great physicist, James Joule.
Energy comes in many forms. But all forms fall under two categories or types
namely: potential energy and kinetic energy. Potential energy is one type of energy
possessed by the objects in Figure 8.1. The potential energy possessed by the object
depends on the vertical height from the ground and the mass of the object. That is
why, the higher the position of the object with respect to the ground, the greater is its
potential energy. If the potential energy is great, its capacity to do work is also great. On
the other hand, kinetic energy is the energy possessed by the object because of its
motion. Objects in (A) and (B) in Figure 8.1 possessed kinetic energy when they were
released. All moving objects have kinetic energy. The amount of kinetic energy depends
upon the mass and speed of the object. So, for a particular object, the faster its speed,
the greater is its kinetic energy.
Examples of energy forms falling under kinetic energy are: radiant energy,
thermal energy, sound energy, and electrical energy. Examples of energy forms falling
under potential energy are: elastic potential, gravitational potential, chemical energy and
nuclear energy. These forms of energy will be discussed further in the next module. In
this module, the discussion will revolve on the types of energy that influences the motion
of playground and amusement park rides.

Lesson 8.2 Energy on the Slide

Look at Figure 8.2. Does the object also possess potential energy? How would
you know that? Find out in the next activity.

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Figure 8.2. Does the object rolling down the inclined plane possess potential energy?

Stop at this point and go to pages 10 to 13. Do first Activity 8.1 and then
Activity 8.2. You will find out more about energy after doing these activities.
Return to this section after your discussion with your teacher.

Just like in Figure 8.1, the object in Figure 8.2 has varying potential energy as it
rolls down the inclined plane. You have observed this in Activity 8.1. This is similar to a
person on a slide. At the highest point, the person on a slide has the greatest potential
energy since he is at the highest position with respect to the ground. As he moves down
the slide, he is becoming closer to the ground. Because of this, his potential energy
decreases. Where does the decrease in his potential energy go?

In Activity 8.2, you observed that when the marble was rolling down the plank, its
speed increased. The increasing speed indicates that the kinetic energy increases. So,
as the potential energy is decreased, its kinetic energy is increased. This is a case of
energy transformation where the potential energy (energy of position) of the object is
converted to the kinetic energy (energy of motion) of the object. This situation can be
compared to a person in a slide. As he moves down the slide, his potential energy is
converted to kinetic energy. At the lowest point on the slide, his speed is greatest
therefore, his kinetic energy is also greatest.

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Figure 8.3. The girl at the top of the slide has a great or
large potential energy.

You have studied and compared the potential energy and kinetic energy
of an object on an inclined plane and compared this to a person on a slide.
Find out how much you have learned by answering Exercise 8.1 on pages
18 to 20. Return to this page when you are through with the exercise.

Lesson 8.3 Energy Conservation and the Swing

You are familiar with a swing. Your local playground or your school ground may
have this. Have you wondered why it swings back and forth?

Figure 8.4. The swing moves back and forth.

Stop at this point and go to pages 14 to 15. Do Activity 8.3. You will find out
what makes the swing move the way it does by working with a pendulum.
Return to this section after your discussion with your teacher.

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The pendulum is a swing. Either one, the pendulum in the laboratory or the swing
in the playground, can be used to analyze energy transformation and conservation.
When the bob of the pendulum (stone in the case of the activity) is held up as in A in
Figure 8.5, it stores the maximum potential energy due to its position. At point B, its
lowest position, the speed of the bob is greatest. Here, its potential energy is minimum
or zero while its kinetic energy is at maximum. As it continues to move to the right, that
is, to point C in the figure, it again attains the highest position thus, storing again a
maximum potential energy. At this point, the bob stops at an instant, then moves back
to where it came from. At the instant where it stopped, its kinetic energy is zero. As it
moves to the opposite direction, its kinetic energy once again increases and becomes
maximum at the lowest point while its potential energy decreases again to zero. As it
continues to move to the left, its potential energy once again increases while its kinetic
energy decreases. In the absence of friction, this back and forth motion will continue.
Note that in this back and forth motion, the energy is transformed from potential to
kinetic and to potential again and so on. A closer look would tell that the sum of the
potential and kinetic energy at any point along the path of the bob is the same or
constant. Energy is conserved! That is why, in the absence of friction, if the potential
energy (PE) at the highest point is 10 J, 10 J of it is converted to kinetic energy (KE) at
the lowest point and again converted to 10 J potential energy (PE) at the highest point
and so on. Figure 8.5 shows this transformation. It also shows that energy is conserved.

Figure 8.5. Conservation of energy in a pendulum.

Stop at this point. Go first to pages 21 to 23. Do Exercise 8.2 before you
proceed to the next topic. This will help you check how much you have
understood energy transformation and conservation.

Lesson 8.4 The Roller Coaster

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Are you familiar with the roller coaster? If you have not seen one in reality,
perhaps you have seen one on television or in pictures. How would you describe the

coaster
first hill
PE max

loop KE max

loop

structure of the roller coaster? The roller coaster has hills and others have loops as
shown in FigureFigure 8.6. such
8.6. With The roller coaster
structure, hasmakes
what hills and loops. move through out the
its coaster
track and with such a great speed?

Stop at this point and go to pages 16 to 17. You will do Activity 8.4. You will
find out what makes the coaster move through out its track and with such
a great speed. Return to this section after your discussion with your
teacher.
Now you
realized that the roller coaster has no engine. The coaster is first pulled to the top of the
first hill at the beginning of the ride giving it a large quantity of potential energy. After
that, the coaster completes the ride on its own. The conversion of potential energy to
kinetic energy is what drives the roller coaster. Once the coaster moves down the first
hill, all of its potential energy is converted to kinetic energy needed for the ride. On its
way down from the first hill, different types of wheels help keep the coaster ride smooth
on the track even if it is inverted. Compressed air brakes stop the coaster as the ride
ends.

The coaster and the rider has a lot of kinetic energy at portions on the track
where the speed is largest. As mentioned, in the absence of external forces such as air
resistance and friction (two of many), the total amount of an object's energy (kinetic and
potential) is constant. On a coaster ride, energy is rapidly transformed from potential
energy to kinetic energy when falling and from kinetic energy to potential energy when
rising. Yet the total amount of energy remains constant.

In portions with loops, the coaster must enter the loop with large or great kinetic
energy to complete a vertical loop as in the experiment. Large kinetic energy means
large speed. Large kinetic energy is needed to reach the top of the loop and still be
moving.

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Other amusement park rides, like the water slide (Log Jam) and Viking boat
(Anchors Away), to name a few which require energy on earth for its motion, energy is
conserved. Although the kinetic energy (energy of motion) and potential energy (stored
energy) may fluctuate, the total energy (PE + KE) remains the same.

Stop at this point and go to page 24. Do Exercise 8.3. This will help you check
how much you have understood energy transformation and conservation in a
roller coaster.

Summary of concepts

1. Energy is the capacity to do work. The two types of energy are: potential energy
and kinetic energy. Joule (J) is the unit of energy.

2. Potential energy is the capacity for doing work that a body possesses because of
its position. These are the potential energy due to gravitational field, the energy
stored in the bonds of atoms and molecules (chemical energy), the energy stored
in an object by the application of force like the compressed and stretched spring
(elastic potential energy), and nuclear energy.

3. Kinetic energy is the energy that a body possesses because it is in motion. Any
moving objects, atoms and molecules possess kinetic energy.

4. Energy is converted from one form to the other. This conversion can be
demonstrated by an object falling from a certain height, the rolling of the marble
in an inclined plane, or the swinging pendulum. In all cases, energy of position is
changed to energy of motion and vice versa. In the playgrounds and amusement
parks, these are seen in slides, swings, and roller coaster to name a few.

5. The law of conservation of energy states that: Although energy can be

transformed from one form to another, it can not be created nor destroyed.

6. The two most important forms of energy for many of the playground and
amusement park rides are kinetic energy and potential energy. In the absence of
external forces such as air resistance and friction (two of many), the total amount
of the energy of these rides remains constant. On a coaster ride for instance,
energy is rapidly transformed from potential energy to kinetic energy when falling

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and from kinetic energy to potential energy when rising. Yet the total amount of
energy remains constant.

Activity 8.1
Energy on the Slide
(Part I)

Materials

wooden plank around 1.5 m long empty matchbox

books to serve as stand protractor
2 marbles (1 big, 1 small)

Procedure
1. Position the books, wooden plank and the empty matchbox as in Case 1.

2. Get the smaller marble. Position it as shown in Case 1 and release it. Observe
and describe what happens to the matchbox. Mark the new position of the
matchbox and then return it to its original position.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
3. Using the same marble, position it as shown in Case 2 below and release it.
Observe and describe again what happens to the matchbox. Mark the new position
of the matchbox and then return it to its original position.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

4. In which case (Case 1 or Case 2) was work done by the marble greater? What
evidence show this? 10
___________________________________________________________________
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5. In which case (Case 1 or Case 2) was the marble farther from the floor when
released? What does this tell you about the potential energy of the marbles? What
made the potential energy in one case greater than the other? This is the first quantity
that affects the amount of potential energy of an object.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
What can you say about the work done by the marble and its potential energy?
____________________________________________________________________
6. Repeat Step 2.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
7. Repeat Step 2 again using the bigger marble this time.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
8. Which marble (big or small) did more work on the matchbox? What evidence show
this?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
9. Which marble (big or small) has a greater potential energy at the time of release?
What made the potential energy of one marble greater than the other? This is the
second quantity (or factor) that affects the amount of potential energy of an object.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

10. The marble on the plank or inclined plane in the activity is like a person on a slide in
the playground. As one climbs up the slide, what happens to his position with respect
to the ground? What does this suggest about his stored potential energy?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
As one slides down, what happens to his position with respect to the ground? What
does this suggest about his stored potential energy?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
A father and his six year old son went up the same slide. Who has the greater
potential energy at the top of the slide? Why?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

Generalization

What do your observations tell you about the potential energy of an object in an
inclined plane?
____________________________________________________________________

What two quantities (factors) affect the amount of potential energy of an object?
____________________________________________________________________

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Activity 8.2
Energy on the Slide
Part II

Materials

wooden plank around 1.5m long

books to serve as stand
1 marble
protractor

Procedure
1. Position the wooden plank as in the figure below.

2. Put the marble on the plank as shown and release it. Describe the position of the
marble with respect to the floor as it moves down the plank or inclined plane. What
does this tell you about its potential energy?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

3. Put back the marble as in the figure and release it, this time observing carefully its
speed as it moves down the inclined plane. Describe its speed. What does this tell you
about the kinetic energy of the marble as it moves down the inclined plane?

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

4. As the distance of the marble from the floor decreases on its way down the inclined
plane, what quantity increases in the marble?
_____________________________________________________________________
What does the decrease in the distance from the floor and the increase in the speed
along the inclined plane tell you about the potential energy and the kinetic energy of the
marble as it rolls down the inclined plane?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
From your observation, what becomes of the potential energy of the marble as it moves
down the inclined plane?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

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5. The setup in the activity is like the slide in the playground. What can you say about the
potential and kinetic energy of the person moving down the slide?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

6. If the potential energy of the person at the top of the slide is 50 J, what will happen to
this value as the person moves down the slide? Becomes smaller, the same, or
bigger? Explain.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Considering that friction is negligible, what will be the value of the kinetic energy of the
person at the lowest point of the slide? Zero (0) or fifty joules (50 J)? Explain.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Generalization

What do your observations tell about the potential and kinetic energy of an object as it
moves down an inclined plane?

What does the potential energy of an object or a person become as it/he moves down
on an inclined plane or a slide?

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Activity 8.3
Energy Conservation and the Swing

Materials

50 cm long string
stone

Procedure

1. Tie the stone with the string and hang as shown in B.

2. Hold the stone and position it as in A. Compare the height of the stone in A with that
in B. How does the potential energy of the stone in A compare with its potential
energy in B?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

3. If position A is the highest position and B is the lowest position, what exactly can you
say about the potential energy at A, how about at B?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

4. Release the stone at A and observe its speed as it moves through B, C and so on.
Describe your observation.
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
At what point is the speed of the stone fastest? At what points is the speed zero?
What do your observations tell you about the kinetic energy of the stone at points A, B
and C?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

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5. If at A, the stones’ potential energy is 10 J, what is its potential energy at B, at C? Write

your answers in the table below.

What is its kinetic energy at A, at B, at C assuming that air friction is negligible? Write
your answers in the table below.

If the values of the potential energy and the kinetic energy is added at A, what is the
sum? At B? At C? Write your answers in the table below.

A B C
Potential Energy (PE) 10 J
Kinetic Energy (KE)
Sum of PE and KE

What does the tabulated result tell you about the energy of the object as it
swings back and forth?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

6. The pendulum in the activity is the same as the swing in the playground. Describe the
potential and kinetic energy of the child as the swing moves back and forth.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Generalization

What do your observations tell about the sum of the potential and kinetic energy of the
stone in the pendulum setup or the swing, as it moves back and forth?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

What makes the back and forth motion of the pendulum or the swing possible?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

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Activity 8.4
The Roller Coaster

Materials

Improvised loop the loop

marble

Procedure

1. Hold the marble at Position 1 of your improvised loop the loop as shown.

2. Release the marble and observe its motion. Describe your observation.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

3. Hold the marble at Position 2. Release the marble and observe its motion. Describe
your observation.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

4. At what position (Position 1 or Position 2) was the potential energy of the marble
greatest? Explain.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Which position of the marble (Position 1 or Position 2) gave the greatest kinetic energy
before entering the loop? Explain
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Explain your observations in Steps 2 and 3.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

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5 If you are to add another loop, what size of loop will you add so that the marble will be
able to go through the two loops and out without falling out of the track? Bigger or
smaller than the existing loop? Explain.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Generalization

From your observation, explain what makes the coaster in a roller coaster sustain its
motion along the track.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

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Exercise 8.1
Energy on the Slide

For Numbers 1 to 3, refer to the illustration below.

1. Which statement is true when the boy reaches the top of the slide?
a. potential energy is lowest, kinetic energy is greatest
b. potential energy is greatest, kinetic energy is lowest
c. potential energy is equal to the kinetic energy
Explain your answer.
_______________________________________________________________________

2. As the boy slides down, which statement best describes his potential and kinetic
energy?
a. potential energy decreases while kinetic energy increases
b. potential energy increases while kinetic energy decreases
c. potential energy remains the same, kinetic energy remains the same
Explain your answer.
_______________________________________________________________________

3. Which statement is true when the boy reaches the bottom of the slide?
a. potential energy is lowest, kinetic energy is greatest
b. potential energy is greatest, kinetic energy is lowest
c. potential energy is equal to the kinetic energy
Explain your answer.
_______________________________________________________________________

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For Numbers 4 to 6, consider the illustrations below where two girls having the same weight are
about to climb the two different slides as shown.

4. Who will have a higher potential energy upon reaching the top of the slides?
a. the girl in Case 1
b. the girl in Case 2
Explain your answer.
_______________________________________________________________________

5. At 1 m above the ground, how would you compare the potential energy of the girl in
Case1 to that in Case 2?
a. The potential energy of the girl in Case 1 is greater than that in Case 2
b. The potential energy of the girl in Case 1 is equal to that in Case 2
c. The potential energy of the girl in Case 1 is less than that in Case 2
Explain your answer.
_______________________________________________________________________

6. Who will have the greater kinetic energy upon reaching the bottom of the slides?
a. the girl in Case 1
b. the girl in Case 2
Explain your answer.
_______________________________________________________________________

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For Numbers 7 to 8, refer to the illustrations below where two girls, one twice as heavy as the
other, are playing on two slides having the same height as shown.

7. Who has the greater potential energy at the top?

a. the girl in Case 1
b. the girl in Case 2
Explain your answer.
_______________________________________________________________________

8. Who has the greater kinetic energy at the bottom?

a. the girl in Case 1
b. the girl in Case 2
Explain your answer.
_______________________________________________________________________

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Exercise 8.2
Energy Transformation and Conservation

Consider the illustrations below for Numbers 1 to 2 where snapshots of the boy’s motion at
three positions along the slide were taken.

1. Which representation below best describes the potential and kinetic energy of the boy at
positions A to C?
A B C
PE KE PE KE PE KE

a.

b.

c.

Explain your answer.

_______________________________________________________________________

2. If the potential energy of the boy at A is 600 J, what is its kinetic energy at C?
a. 600 J
b. 300 J
c. 100 J
Explain your choice.
_______________________________________________________________________

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For Numbers 3 to 4, consider the illustrations below showing snapshots of a girl riding on a
swing at three different positions.

3. Which representation below best describes the potential and kinetic energy of the girl on
the swing from positions A to C?

A B C
PE KE PE KE PE KE

a.

b.

c.

Explain your answer.

_______________________________________________________________________

4. If the potential energy of the girl at A is 150 J, what is her potential energy at C?
a. 300 J
b. 150 J
c. 0 J
Explain your choice.
_______________________________________________________________________

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5. In your opinion, which of the following amusement park ride/s best illustrate/s energy
conservation (potential and kinetic energy conservation)?

I. bump cars II. viking boat III. water slide

a. I only
b. II only
c. III only
d. I and II
e. II and III
f. I and III
Explain your choice.

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Exercise 8.3
The Roller Coaster

Use the drawing of the roller coaster below in answering Questions 1 to 4. The letters represent
specific points in the roller coaster.

1. At what point is potential energy the greatest? Explain.

2. At what point is kinetic energy the greatest? Explain.

3. Arrange the points with potential energy from greatest to lowest.

4. Arrange the points with kinetic energy from greatest to lowest.

_______________________________________________________________________

5. Using the drawing above, trace and identify the energy and energy transformation
involve in the roller coaster ride from the moment it starts to move until it stops. Use the
letters indicated as guide.

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What you have learned

1. A ball on the ground is picked by Raffy. As the ball is held, what

type of energy is in the ball?
a. Electrical energy
b. Kinetic Energy
c. Potential energy
d. Sound energy

2. Which statement is true about the energy possessed

by Nelson who is sitting at the very top of the slide?

a. His potential energy is greatest whereas his kinetic energy is zero.

b. His potential energy is zero whereas his kinetic energy is greatest.
c. His potential energy is equal to his kinetic energy.
d. His potential and kinetic energy is zero.

3. Arianne is riding on a swing. Which statement explains why the system (Arianne and
the swing) manages to move back and forth?

a. The energy of the system is conserved.

b. The kinetic energy is greatest at the lowest point.
c. The potential energy is greatest at the highest point.
d. Air friction is greater than the potential and kinetic energy.

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For Numbers 4 to 5, use the drawing that follow:

3. The potential energy of the coaster is greatest at

a. A only
b. D only
c. B and C
d. C and E

5. For the coaster to go through the loops, which statement must be true?
a. The coaster must have a great amount of potential energy at point B.
b. The coaster must have a great amount of kinetic energy at point B.
c. The coaster must have the same amount of potential energy and kinetic
energy at point B.
d. The coaster must have a zero kinetic energy at point B.

6. Name objects (three for each) that you see around having
6.1 potential energy and
6.2 kinetic energy.

7. Discuss what you must do to increase the

7.1 potential energy of an object and
7.2 kinetic energy of an object.

8. Name 1 playground or amusement park ride. Identify the energy involve

in its motion and discuss the energy transformation taking place in it.

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