Name ______________________
Date ____ / ____ / ____
KINETIC AND POTENTIAL ENERGY
Kinetic energy is the type energy that depends on movement and is based on an object's mass
and velocity. An object's potential energy is its stored energy due to its position. For a closed
system, the sum of an object's kinetic and potential energy remains constant.
Potential Energy:
Kinetic Energy:
P.E. = Weight x Height,
2
KE = ½ Mass x Velocity ,
The metrics units used are:
P.E. = w x h
K.E. = ½ mv2
Energy = joules
Weight = newtons (i.e., kg x 9.8 N/kg)
Height = meters
Mass = kilograms
Velocity = m/s
Provide the answers to the questions below.
1. Consider a rock weighing 100 newtons that is at the top of a 200 meter high hill.
What is its potential energy?
Answer:
2. Consider a a bicycle with a mass of 20 kg traveling at a velocity of 4 m/s.
What is its kinetic energy?
Answer:
3. Consider a flower pot weighing 4 newtons which is sitting on a windowsill 30 meters from
the ground. How many joules of kinetic and potential energy does it have?
Answer:
4. If the flower pot in Problem 3 falls off the windowsill and falls 20 meters downwards (i.e., it
is 10 meters from hitting the ground), what is its potential energy at that point?
Answer:
5. Using your answer in question 4, what kinetic energy does the flower pot have when it has
fallen 20 meters and is 10 meters from the ground?
Answer:
6. Using your answer from question 5, what speed is the flower pot traveling when it has
fallen 20 meters and is 10 meters from the ground?
Answer:
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