Potential and Kinetic Energy
Energy in motion.
What is kinetic energy?
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred.
What does the law of conservation of energy state?
What kind of energy does a stretched rubber band have before being released?
Potential energy.
What unit is used to measure both kinetic and potential energy?
Joules
What is required for work to be done on an object?
A force must move the object over a distance.
Stored energy.
What is potential energy?
In a Newton’s Cradle, what happens to the energy of the first ball when it hits the second ball?
It transfers to the next ball.
When a rock falls from a cliff, what energy transformation takes place?
Potential energy changes to kinetic energy.
If an object’s speed doubles, what happens to its kinetic energy?
It increases
Why doesn’t a person standing still do physical work, even if they get tired?
No movement occurs.
What two factors determine an object’s kinetic energy?
Mass and speed.
What happens to an object’s kinetic energy when it slows down?
It converts into other forms of energy, like heat, light, or sound.
At what point in a roller coaster ride is kinetic energy at its highest?
At the lowest point of the track, when the speed is greatest.
What two types of energy make up the total energy of a system?
Kinetic energy and potential energy.
Why does an object with more mass have more kinetic energy than a lighter object at the same speed?
Kinetic energy depends on mass.
What happens to potential energy as kinetic energy increases?
It decreases.
If a system starts with 100 joules of energy, how much energy will it have after energy is transferred?
100 joules (energy is conserved).
What happens to energy when you swing a baseball bat and hit a ball?
Kinetic energy transfers from the bat to the ball.
If an object has 50 joules of kinetic energy and 50 joules of potential energy, what is its total energy?
100 Joules
What happens to energy when a moving object collides with another object?
Some energy is transferred to the second object, and some may convert into heat or sound.
At what point does a swinging person have the most potential energy?
At the highest point of the swing’s arc.
What type of energy transformation occurs when a car brakes?
Kinetic energy changes into heat, light, and sound energy.
When a wind turbine spins, what type of energy transformation occurs?
Kinetic energy (wind) to mechanical energy (turbine movement) to electrical energy.
If a ball has 200 joules of potential energy at the top of a hill and 150 joules at the bottom, what happened to the 50 joules?
It was converted into other forms, like heat or sound.
What type of kinetic energy involves the motion of charged particles?
Electrical energy.