Name: Ruthanne Kamau

Element: Sodium (Na)

Science 5
Energy Skate Park Simulation

Helpful Information
● Mechanical energy (ME) is the ability to do work. The SI unit for energy is the Joule. 1 Joule is equal to
1 Newton meter (Nm).
● Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. All objects in motion have kinetic energy.
● Potential energy is the energy of position. All objects above the “zero point” have potential energy.
● Use the equation TME = KE + GPE in order to calculate the total mechanical energy.

Pre-Activity Questions
Directions: Answer these questions before beginning the activity. You may use bullet points to answer.
1. What are two examples of objects that have mechanical energy?

• Cart at top of a rollercoaster hill with potential energy then come down the hill and makes
kinetic energy
• Bowling because as you hold the ball there is potential energy and as the ball moves down the
ramp you make kinetic energy.

2. What are two examples of kinetic energy?

• Basketball after you shoot it

• Airplane flying in the air

3. What are two examples of potential energy?

• Ski lift at the top of a mountain
• Sitting on a couch

4. If given the kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy, how is the total mechanical energy
calculated?
TME = KE + GPE

Let’s Begin the Activity

Directions: Follow the steps and answer the questions below.
 1. Go to Google Chrome and paste the link below into the search-bar.
https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/energy-skate-park-basics/latest/energy-skate-park-basics_en.html
2. Click on the box furthest to the left. The box has a picture of a skateboarder and says “intro” below.
3. Complete the following steps to get your simulator set-up.
○ In the upper left corner check the boxes for bar graph, grid and speed.
○ Do not change the mass. The blue tab for mass should be in the middle.
○ Make sure the track is “U-shaped”)the top picture)
○ Next to the play symbol, click the bubble that says slow motion.

Let’s Get Started

Press play and observe what happens as the skateboarder travels along the track. Observe for 30 seconds or
until you understand what happens to the kinetic energy, potential energy and total energy as the
skateboarder moves up and down the track.

1. What do you notice about the total energy as he is skating?

The total energy always stays the same. The
skater’s potential energy + the kinetic energy =
the total energy, which means the total energy
is mechanical energy.

2. When is the potential energy the highest? The lowest?

The potential energy is the highest when the
skater is higher.

a. Why do you think you observe that?

We observed it by looking at the chart that says
how much potential energy is being used when
the skater is at a specific place.

3. When is the kinetic energy the highest? The lowest?

The kinetic energy is highest when the skater is at the lowest point on the ramp, and lowest when the skater is
highest on the ramp.

a. Why do you think you observe that?

I observed that because I was looking at the chart that shows me the amount of kinetic energy when the
skater is at a given position on the ramp.

Press pause using the bottom in the center at the bottom of your screen. In the upper right side of your
screen, move the blue tab all the way to the right so the mass increases. Press play and observe the skater and
energy graph for 30 seconds.
 1. What do you notice about the total energy in this simulation? What happened as the mass increased?
The total energy stays the same the whole time unless you change the mass, and when you increase the mass,
the total energy increases.

2. Why do you think you observed that?

I observed that because I was looking at the energy chart which told me different things when I increased the
mass and when I changed the mechanical energy.

Press pause using the bottom in the center at the bottom of your screen. In the upper right side of your
screen, move the blue tab all the way to the left so the mass decreases. Press play and observe the skater and
energy graph for 30 seconds.

1. What do you notice about the total energy in this simulation? What happened as the mass increased?

2. Why do you think you observed that?

Post-Activity Questions
1. How can kinetic energy be increased?
 2. How can potential energy be increased?

3. A skateboarder has a kinetic energy of 75.0 Joules and a potential energy of 25.0 Joules. What is the
total mechanical energy of the skateboarder?

4. A diver stands on the 5.0 meter platform. Their potential energy is 45.0 Joules and their kinetic energy
is 0 Joules. What is the total mechanical energy of the diver?

5. A bungee jumper has a kinetic energy of 90.0 Joules and a potential energy of 10.0 Joules. What is the
total mechanical energy of the bungee jumper?

6. A sky-diver has a kinetic energy of 43.0 Joules and a potential energy of 107.0 Joules. What is the total
mechanical energy of the sky diver?

Use the diagram below to answer the following questions.

1. Where would you expect the car to have the most kinetic energy? Why?

2. Where would you expect the car to have the most potential energy? Why?