Energy Basics
What is the ability to do work called?
Energy
What type of energy does a moving object have?
Kinetic
What is the amount of matter in an object called?
Mass
What happens to a rock's potential energy when it falls off a cliff?
Changes to kinetic energy
Name one form that energy changes into when a bicycle brakes suddenly.
Heat, Sound, light
Energy that is stored and waiting to be used is called this type of energy.
If a car speeds up, what happens to its kinetic energy?
Increase
Does greater mass increase or decrease kinetic energy?
Increase
When a car brakes and slows down, where does its kinetic energy go?
Heat, light, sound
A skateboarder at the top of a ramp has potential energy. What type of energy do they have at the bottom of the ramp?
Kinetic
What is the unit of measurement for energy?
Joule
Which has more kinetic energy: a slow-moving truck or a fast-moving bicycle?
Two identical balls are rolling at the same speed. One is made of lead and one is made of plastic. Which has more kinetic energy?
Lead
At the highest point of a swing, does the swing have more potential or kinetic energy?
Potential
Why does a heavier person need more energy to stop when running at the same speed as a lighter person?
More mass more KE
True or False: Kinetic energy depends only on speed.
If two objects have the same mass, which one has more kinetic energy?
The one moving faster
If you double the mass of a moving object while keeping its speed the same, what happens to its kinetic energy?
Doubles
Describe what happens to energy as a swing moves from its highest point (A) to its lowest point (B).
Decrease potential increase kinetic
A meteor falling toward Earth has both potential and kinetic energy. Which type of energy is it losing as it falls?
Potential
According to the law of conservation of energy, what happens to energy in a system?
Cannot be created or destroyed, only changes forms
Two bowling balls are the same weight but one has more kinetic energy. Why could that be?
One has more speed
A feather and a bowling ball are both moving at 20 mph. Why does the bowling ball have significantly more kinetic energy?
More mass
A pendulum swings back and forth. Explain how potential and kinetic energy trade places throughout the swing.
Top all PE, Middle Increase KE decrease PE, bottom all KE no PE
BONUS: Explain why a professional baseball pitcher can throw a baseball faster than a bowling ball, even though the bowling ball is heavier, and which throw would have more kinetic energy.
More force can be applied, bowling ball would have more kinetic energy