Regents Physics Chapter 5 Essay Homework and Project
5.1 work – due Monday, 11/18
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is the difference between the scientific and ordinary definitions of work?
How is work related to force and displacement? Draw a diagram to illustrate your point.
The unit of work is Joule. Who is it named for and why?
What are one examples of each: positive work, negative work, zero work?
5.2 Energy – due Monday 11/28
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What are all the forms of energy discussed in this section?
What is kinetic energy? Give one example of object has zero kinetic energy.
How is kinetic energy related to mass? How is kinetic energy related to velocity?
What is work-kinetic energy theorem?
How is gravitational potential energy defined?
What does it mean in this sentence: “Gravitational potential energy is a result .., so it must be
measured relative to some zero level?” (Page 178, paragraph 2).
7. How is elastic potential energy defined?
8. What is the distance used in the equation for elastic potential energy representing?
5.3 Conservation of energy – due Monday 12/2
1. What is the meaning of the word “conserved”? Give example(s) of some quantity that are
conserved.
2. What is Mechanical Energy? Is it a new form of energy? What are some forms of non-mechanical
energy?
3. When is mechanical energy conserved?
4. When an object encounters friction, its mechanical energy is lost. What does mechanical energy
become?
5. Is total energy conserved even when mechanical energy is not conserved?
5.4 Power – due Monday 12/9
1. What is power?
2. What are two equations for power?
Chapter 5 project – due Monday 12/2
1. Watch the movie “October Sky” and write a paragraph about what you learned from the movie
2. Go to website: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/energy-skate-park and answer questions in
the work sheet.
Regents Physics Chapter 5 Essay Homework and Project
Energy Skate Park
Create a ramp like the one shown that is 10 meters tall. Make sure
the ramp does not touch the ground.
Drop the skater from the top of the ramp so that he reaches the top
of the ramp on the other side and comes back again.
Open the ‘Energy vs. Position’ graph and wait until a full set of data has been collected. Use this graph to
fill in the information in the table below.
PhET Skater
Maximum
potential energy
Minimum
potential energy
Maximum kinetic
energy
1. Which of the skaters had the most energy?
2. Why did this skater have the most energy?
3. Why does the total energy line remain flat?
Star Skater
Bulldog
Bug
Regents Physics Chapter 5 Essay Homework and Project
Set up your ramp so that it looks like the one shown.
Drop the skater from each of the dots on the ramp,
starting from the top, and complete the table below.
Dot
1
2
3
4
5
6
Max. potential
energy
Max. kinetic
energy
4. What was the effect on the skater’s maximum potential energy when he was placed further down the
ramp?
5. Explain why this happened.
6. What was the effect on the skater’s maximum kinetic energy when he was placed further down the
ramp?
7. Explain why this happened. (Note: it is not because of the height)
Regents Physics Chapter 5 Essay Homework and Project
Set up your ramp so that it looks like the one shown.
In the table below record the maximum potential energy for
each of the skaters at the top of the loop. Repeat this on the
Moon, and on Jupiter. You will need to place the skater at the
top of the ramp each time you change location.
PhET Skater
Star Skater
Bulldog
Bug
Earth
Moon
Jupiter
8. Explain why the maximum potential energy of the skaters was different at each location.
9. What are the values of gravity on Earth, on the Moon and on Jupiter?
10. a) Increase the friction on the track and explain what effect this has on the total energy of the
skater.
b) What type of energy is the friction causing the other energy to transform into?