Download The Skate Park – Intro to Energy and Work PhET Lab Name:

Coordinated Science
Name: ___________________________________
Per. _____
Skate Park – Energy Conservation
When Tony Hawk (super skater) wants to launch himself as high as possible off
the half-pipe, how does he achieve this? The skate park is an excellent example
of the conservation of energy. The law of conservation of energy tells us that
we can never create or destroy energy, but we can change its form. In this lab,
we will look at the conversion of energy between gravitational-potential
energy, heat, and kinetic (or moving) energy.
Procedure:
Do a web search for “PhET Skate Park”, click on the top link. Click on the skate
ramp picture to start the applet.

Take a couple minutes to play with the skater and his track.

Click on the buttons to open the pie chart and the bar graph. These
graphs show the amount of kinetic energy (green) and potential energy
(blue). The bar graph will also show heat loss as a red bar (thermal energy lost).

Reset the skater to the standard half-pipe, drag the bottom of the ramp down to the ground, and
observe the energy as he moves back and forth (without friction).
Complete the following sentences using words like highest, lowest, zero, increases, same…
1. As the skater goes down the ramp, his kinetic energy (KE) ____________________ and his potential
gravitational energy (PE) ____________________.
2. At the skater’s highest point, his kinetic energy (KE) is ___________________ and his Potential
gravitational energy (PE) is _________________________________.
3. At the skater’s lowest point, his KE is ________________________ and his PE is __________________.
4. The change in kinetic energy is always ________________________ to the change in potential energy.
5. What happens to total energy as the skater moves? __________________________________
Click the box by Grid, then start the skater at a height of 6.
6. Where do KE and PE equal? ________________________________________________________
Still Conserved?
7. Turn on friction. How does friction affect the total energy over time?
8. How does friction affect potential and kinetic energy over time? Where does the energy come from /
go?
9. Create a ramp where the skater jumps. Describe what happens to the energy when the skater lands.
Modify.
Turn off Friction. Use the controls on the side to make some modifications. You can change the
skater, change the mass of the skater, and even change the location of the skater. As you make each of
these modifications make sure to record the changes you notice about the motion and energy of the
skater. Use words like increase, same, constant, gravity, friction, velocity, acceleration, and inertia.
Modification
description
Motion changes
Energy changes
mass
lower mass
gravity
starting position
friction
10. Create the skate paths as shown. If the skater starts on the left side, will he have
enough energy to make it all the way to the right side? _________ Why? / Why not?
If the skater starts at point A on the track shown at left,
match the letters with the conditions below:
A
C
E
D
B
11. Maximum kinetic energy __________
12. Maximum potential energy _________
13. Two locations where the skater has about the same
speed:
_______ and ________