Download Energy Worksheet

Catapults and Energy
4/11/11
There are two TYPES of energy:
 Kinetic Energy – the energy of motion
 Potential Energy – is stored energy – it has “potential” to do something
o Elastic potential energy – an elastic can store energy and convert it to motion when
it is released.
o Gravitational potential energy – is the energy an object has when we raise it off the
ground.
o Chemical potential energy is the energy stored in chemical bonds of molecules
There are several different FORMS of energy:
 Electrical - energy made available by the flow of electric charge through a conductor
 Mechanical - The energy a substance or system has because of its motion
 Chemical - Energy stored within the bonds between molecules. The most common
examples of chemical energy are fuels such as gasoline, coal, and natural gas
 Nuclear - The energy released when the nuclei of atoms are split or fused
 Radiant - The form of energy related to the movement of light, electromagnetic waves, or
particles
 Thermal - Also known as heat energy; the energy of moving or vibrating molecules
Questions regarding your catapult:
1. What are some of the factors your team considered when designing the catapult?
2. What problems did your team encounter when building or testing the catapult? How did
you resolve them?
3. What did you do to try and make your marshmallow go farther?
4. What types of energy were found in the catapult? What were (if any) the energy
transformations that took place? Was energy lost or conserved?