Name: Savannah Conservation of Mechanical Energy

Objective: Determine the relationship between gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy, thermal energy, mechanical energy
and total energy for a system with and without friction.

Define: Before you begin, define the following vocabulary words that will be used throughout this lab.

Kinetic Energy – Energy in motion

Potential Energy – Energy at rest

Mechanical Energy – Both Potential and Kinetic energy

Total Energy – The total amount of energy throughout the objects course

Instructions:
● Open the Energy Skate Park: Basics Phet lab and click “Intro.”
● Check the boxes on the right hand side to display the bar graph and the grid.
● Place the skater at the top of the ramp and release her.
● For each of the locations of the skater below, observe the type of energy the skater has from the bar chart and copy the
bar chart below.
Using the bar graphs above and the simulation, fill in the chart below to show what happens to kinetic, potential, and total
energy as the skater moves from the top of the ramp to the bottom of the ramp, and from the bottom of the ramp to the top of
the ramp.

Skater’s Movement Change in PEg Change in KE Change in total Energy

(Circle one of the following) (Circle one of the following) (Circle one of the following)

Increased Increased Increased

Moves from the top of the ramp to
Decreased Decreased Decreased
the bottom of the ramp
Remained the same Remained the same Remained the same

Increased Increased Increased

Moves from the bottom of the ramp
Decreased Decreased Decreased
to the top of the ramp
Remained the same Remained the same Remained the same

Change the ramp to the one shown below and predict the type of energy the skater will have at each of the locations marked if
she begins on the left hand side at the 4.0-meter mark. Graph your predictions on the axes below, then use the simulation to
verify your answers. If your predictions were wrong, correct them.

A B C
 ● Turn the friction on by clicking the friction button at the bottom of the track.
● Turn on the ‘Bar Graph,’ and ‘Grid’ options.
● Place the skater at the top of the ramp and release her.
● For each of the locations of the skater below, observe the type of energy the skater has during her first run through the
ramp and copy the bar chart below.
● Continue to watch the skater, what do you notice during this trial, with friction turned on, that is different from when
friction was off?
When there is friction then there is thermal energy. Because of friction things
will heat up

Conclusion:
Using your data collected above:

If there is no friction in the system, what can we conclude about the total mechanical energy of our system?

It will be conserved because it will be half of potential and half kinetic energy with no thermal energy.

If there is no friction in the system, what can we conclude about the total energy of our system?

It will remain the same because it is split between both kinetic and potential energy.

How does this change when friction is added to the system?

When friction is added to the system then thermal energy is added.