KINETIC VS POTENTIAL ENERGY
BACKGROUND
ENERGY EXISTS IN MANY FORMS, FOR EXAMPLE, LIGHT, HEAT, ELECTRICITY, RADIATION, POTENTIAL, AND KINETIC. ENERGY IS
ALWAYS CONSERVED; IT IS NEITHER CREATED NOR DESTROYED, IT IS TRANSFORMED FROM ONE FORM INTO ANOTHER.
KINETIC ENERGY IS THE ENERGY OF MOTION. THERE ARE MANY FORMS OF KINETIC ENERGY. AN OBJECT CAN HAVE VIBRATIONAL,
ROTATIONAL, AND TRANSLATIONAL ENERGY. THE KINETIC ENERGY OF AN OBJECT IS DEPENDENT UPON 2 VARIABLES: MASS AND
SPEED.
POTENTIAL ENERGY IS THE STORED ENERGY OF POSITION OF AN OBJECT. WHEN THE POSITION OF AN OBJECT IS ALTERED FROM ITS
USUAL EQUILIBRIUM POSITION, THE OBJECT IS ABLE TO STORE ENERGY BY VIRTUE OF ITS POSITION.
1. WHAT TYPE OF ENERGY DOES THE BOY ON THE SLED HAVE AT THE TOP OF THE HILL?
WHAT TYPE OF ENERGY DOES THE BOY ON THE SLED AS HE SLIDES DOWN THE HILL?
2. WHAT TYPE OF ENERGY WILL THE SKIER HAVE AS HE MOVES DOWN THE MOUNTAIN?
WHAT TYPE IS SHOWN IN THE PICTURE OF HIM AT THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN?
3. IN THE PICTURE, 2 CHILDREN ARE SWINGING ON A SWING SET. CHILD A IS SWINGING HIGHER THAN
CHILD B. BOTH CHILDREN ARE THE SAME WEIGHT.
WHICH CHILD HAS THE GREATEST GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY? EXPLAIN.
4. IDENTIFY AT WHICH POINT THE ROLLER COASTER CAR HAS THE GREATEST POTENTIAL ENERGY.
EXPLAIN.
IDENTIFY AT WHICH POINT THE ROLLER COASTER CAR HAS THE GREATEST KINETIC ENERGY.
EXPLAIN.
5. A BALL IS THROWN INTO THE AIR AND FOLLOWS THE PATH SHOWN.
AT WHICH POINT IS THE BALL’S POTENTIAL ENERGY GREATEST?
AT WHICH POINT IS THE BALL’S KINETIC ENERGY GREATEST?
6. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING CAUSES SOME OF THE POTENTIAL ENERGY OF A MOVING ROLLER COASTER TO BE CONVERTED TO
THERMAL ENERGY?
A. MOVEMENT
B. THERMAL ENERGY
C. FRICTION
D. SOUND ENERGY
7. WHAT TYPE OF ENERGY DOES THE ROLLER COASTER HAVE AT THE TOP OF THE HILL (POINT B)?
WHAT TYPE OF ENERGY DOES THE ROLLER COASTER HAVE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HILL (POINT A)?
8. WHAT TYPE OF ENERGY DO THE GIRLS ON THE DIVING
BOARD HAVE IN THE PICTURE?
WHAT TYPE OF ENERGY DO THEY HAVE WHEN THEY DIVE?
9. WHEN THE SKATEBOARDER REACHES THE TOP OF THE HALF-PIPE, WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF ENERGY IS AT ITS
MAXIMUM?
A. RADIANT ENERGY
B. KINETIC ENERGY
C. POTENTIAL ENERGY
D. NUCLEAR ENERGY
10. AS THE SKATEBOARDER SPEEDS DOWN THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE HALF-PIPE, WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF ENERGY
IS AT ITS MAXIMUM?
A. RADIANT ENERGY
B. KINETIC ENERGY
C. POTENTIAL ENERGY
D. NUCLEAR ENERGY
11. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF ENERGY IS PRESENT IN THE WOUND UP RUBBER BAND IN A TOY AIRPLANE?
A. GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY
B. ELASTIC POTENTIAL ENERGY
C. GRAVITATIONAL KINETIC ENERGY
D. ELASTIC KINETIC ENERGY
12. A RUBBER BALL DROPS OFF A TABLE AND BOUNCES OFF THE FLOOR.
DESCRIBE SOME OF THE ENERGY CHANGES USING THE FOLLOWING WORDS: POTENTIAL, KINETIC, SOUND, HEAT.
13. LOOK AT THE SWINGING PENDULUM.
WHEN DOES THE SWINGING PENDULUM HAVE THE GREATEST POTENTIAL ENERGY?
WHEN DOES THE PENDULUM HAVE THE GREATEST KINETIC ENERGY?
14. WHICH DESCRIBES THE POTENTIAL AND KINETIC ENERGY OF THE PENDULUM AT POSITION X?
A. POTENTIAL ENERGY IS AT ITS LOWEST AND KINETIC IS AT ITS LOWEST
B. POTENTIAL ENERGY IS AT ITS HIGHEST AND KINETIC ENERGY IS AT ITS LOWEST
C. KINETIC ENERGY IS AT ITS HIGHEST AND POTENTIAL ENERGY IS AT ITS LOWEST
D. KINETIC ENERGY IS AT ITS HIGHEST AND POTENTIAL ENERGY IS AT ITS HIGHEST
15. WHICH LETTERS REPRESENT THE POSITIONS OF MAXIMUM POTENTIAL ENERGY OF THE
PENDULUM?
A. A AND B
B. C AND D
C. D AND E
D. A AND E
16. THE LAW OF CONSERVATION OF ENERGY STATES THAT ENERGY CANNOT BE CREATED NOR
DESTROYED. AT POINT B. . .
A. KINETIC AND POTENTIAL ENERGY ARE GREATEST
B. KINETIC ENERGY IS GREATEST AND POTENTIAL ENERGY IS LOWEST
C. POTENTIAL ENERGY AND KINETIC ENERGY ARE LOWEST
D. POTENTIAL ENERGY IS GREATEST AND KINETIC ENERGY IS LOWEST
17. MABEL DID A PENDULUM EXPERIMENT TO FIND HOW THE LENGTH AND MASS OF A PENDULUM
AFFECT ITS PERIOD (THE TIME FOR ONE COMPLETE BACK AND FORTH SWING).
SHE RECORDED HER DATA IN A CHART.
WHAT IS A REASONABLE CONCLUSION ABOUT THE EXPERIMENT BASED ON THE CHART.
A. THE PERIOD IS NOT AFFECTED BY THE LENGTH AND THE MASS OF THE PENDULUM
B. THE PERIOD IS AFFECTED ONLY BY THE LENGTH OF THE PENDULUM
C. THE PERIOD IS AFFECTED ONLY BY THE MASS OF THE PENDULUM
D. THE PERIOD IS AFFECTED BY BOTH THE LENGTH AND THE MASS OF THE PENDULUM
LENGTH OF PENDULUM (cm)
10
10
20
20
MASS (g)
25
55
25
55
NUMBER OF SWINGS IN 2 MINUTES
188
188
128
128
18. WHICH OF THESE BEST DESCRIBES THE ENERGY TRANSFORMATION TAKING PLACE?
A. LIGHT ENERGY IS BEING TRANSFORMED INTO HEAT ENERGY
B. MECHANICAL ENERGY IS TRANSFORMED INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
C. ELECTRICAL ENERGY IS TRANSFORMED INTO LIGHT ENERGY
D. ELECTRICAL ENERGY IS TRANSFORMED INTO HEAT ENERGY AND MECHANICAL ENERGY
19. IN THE DIAGRAM, WHAT FORM OF UNWANTED ENERGY IS PRODUCED?
A. CHEMICAL
B. ELECTRICAL
C. LIGHT
D. HEAT
20. WHAT TYPES OF ENERGY CHANGE IS REPRESENTED IN THE DIAGRAM?
A. CHEMICAL ENERGY TO HEAT ENERGY
B. ELECTRICAL ENERGY TO LIGHT ENERGY
C. LIGHT ENERGY TO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
D. SOUND ENERGY TO LIGHT ENERGY
21. THE PENDULUM IS A CONTINUOUS, BACK AND FORTH TRANSFORMATION OF WHICH 2 TYPES OF ENERGY?
A. CHEMICAL TO POTENTIAL
B. ELECTRICAL TO MECHANICAL
C. POTENTIAL TO ELECTRICAL
D. POTENTIAL TO KINETIC
22. WHEN YOU ARE ACTIVE, CHEMICAL ENERGY FROM FOOD IS CONVERTED INTO WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF ENERGY?
A. MECHANICAL ENERGY
B. THERMAL ENERGY
C. POTENTIAL ENERGY
D. NUCLEAR ENERGY
23. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXAMPLE OF POTENTIAL ENERGY CHANGING TO KINETIC ENERGY?
A. A HAIR DRYER BLOWS HOT AIR
B. A SET MOUSETRAP SNAPS SHUT
C. AN ELECTRICAL FAN SPINS ITS BLADES
D. A HELIUM FILLED BALLOON RESTS AGAINST THE CEILING
24. WHEN YOU RUB YOUR HANDS TOGETHER ON A COLD DAY, YOU USE FRICTION TO CONVERT…
A. MECHANICAL ENERGY INTO THERMAL ENERGY
B. THERMAL ENERGY INTO NUCLEAR ENERGY
C. NUCLEAR ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
D. ELECTRICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTROMAGNETIC ENERGY
25. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING IS DESIGNED TO CONVERT ENERGY INTO MECHANICAL WORK?
A. ELECTRIC FAN
B. KEROSENE HEATER
C. FLASHLIGHT
D. BAKING OVEN