FOUNDATIONS OF PHYSICS
Notebook Assignment #10
Energy Notes
Energy
Classified As
Potential
Energy
Kinetic
Energy
Dissipated
Energy
Divided Into
Gravitational
Potential
Energy
Elastic
Potential
Energy
ENERGY
The ability to cause change
 Can be transferred from one place or object to
another
 Can be converted from potential to kinetic or
kinetic to potential
 Energy can not be created or destroyed. This is
called the Law of Conservation of Energy.

POTENTIAL ENERGY
Stored Energy
 Has the potential to cause something to change,
but is not currently causing a change
 Several different representations of potential
energy. The two main categories: Gravitation
and Elastic Potential Energy

GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL ENERGY
(GPE)
Results from an object being raised up
while the force of gravity acts on it.
 Depends on the force of gravity and how high the
object is raised.

ELASTIC POTENTIAL ENERGY (EPE)
Results from an elastic material being
stretched or compressed some distance.
 Depends on how far the elastic material is
stretched / compressed and the material’s spring
constant.

OTHER EXAMPLES OF POTENTIAL
ENERGY
Chemical Potential Energy – Energy stored
in the chemical bonds of substances like
food, oil, natural gas, etc.
 Electrical Potential Energy – Energy stored
in an object with voltage

KINETIC ENERGY
Energy of motion
 Depends on the speed of the object and its mass

DISSIPATED ENERGY
Energy that is converted into energy that can
no longer be “used” as kinetic or potential
energy.
 Dissipated energy usually remain in the original
location or object or moves out into the surrounding
environment

ENERGY PIE CHARTS
Used to illustrate conservation of energy and
energy conversion
 The size of the pie (circle) indicates the total
energy of the object(s)


The size of the pie pieces (divisions in circle)
illustrates the amount of each energy.
Gravitational
Potential Energy
(GPE)
Elastic Potential
Energy (EPE)
Total
Energy
Kinetic Energy
(KE)
ENERGY PIE CHARTS - WORKSHEET
1. A wind-up toy is fully wound and at rest.
EPE
All of the energy in
the rabbit is stored
in the “wound”
spring
ENERGY PIE CHARTS - WORKSHEET
2. A wind-up toy is wound up and moving across level ground. The toy is speeding up.
KE
EPE
EPE
KE
Elastic Potential Energy is converted to Kinetic Energy
EPE
KE
ENERGY PIE CHARTS - WORKSHEET
3. The toy is wound up and is moving at a
constant speed up an incline.
EPE KE
GPE
EPE
KE
GPE
KE
EPE
Elastic Potential Energy is converted to
Gravitational Potential Energy while Kinetic Energy
remains constant
ENERGY PIE CHARTS - WORKSHEET
4. The toy is wound up and moving along
at a constant speed.
KE
EPE
EPE
KE
Diss
EPE KE
Diss
Elastic Potential Energy is converted to
Dissipated Energy while Kinetic Energy
remains constant
ENERGY PIE CHARTS - WORKSHEET
5. The toy is wound up and slowing down
as it moves up an incline.
EPE
KE
GPE
EPE
KE
GPE
EPE KE
Elastic Potential Energy is converted to
Gravitational Energy while Kinetic Energy
decreases
ENERGY PIE CHARTS - WORKSHEET
6. The toy is wound up and speeding up as
it moves up an incline.
EPE
GPE
EPE
GPE
KE
EPE
KE
KE
Elastic Potential Energy is converted to
Kinetic Energy and Gravitational Potential
Energy