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Newton Centers Prequel Answers - Honors
Beginning tomorrow, you will be working in centers, in the order specified by Mrs. Twedt. Each center contains a Web Quest, and
some contain explorations. Both today and tomorrow, you will go to www.mrs-twedt.com on your computer. GO to the resources tab
and, today, click “Newton Centers Webquest PREQUEL.” Here, you will find a page that looks just like this sheet. You need to be
sure you complete this sequentially. Whenever you see underlined text, it is a hyperlink to a website full of content I expect you to
read. Then answer the question where you clicked the hyperlink on your paper.
Today, we are reviewing MECHANICAL ENERGY since we know that FORCES cause changes in amounts of potential and
kinetic energy, thus forces cause MOTION. NOW, go to www.mrs-twedt.com!
StartWhat is the difference between kinetic and potential energy? Yes….you know this, I know that! ….BUT, let’s review. Explain it in
terms of a roller coaster. (Read from the beginning, be sure to watch the animation, and make sure you include where the tracks come
in to answer this!). There is a blank space to draw a diagram.
Remember, As KE goes
up, PE goes down (and
vice versa). TME is the
TOTAL mechanical
energy in a system. It is
KE + PE and it NEVER
changes unless there are
outside forces!
Next,you are familiar with both of these: Potential Energy and Kinetic Energy.
According to the text written below the heading “Gravitational Potential Energy” on this page, Gravitational
Potential Energy is
The energy stored in an object as the result of its vertical position or height. The energy is stored as the result of
the gravitational attraction of the Earth for the object.
Use that same page to fill in the following blanks: “The gravitational potential energy of the massive ball of a
demolition machine is dependent on two variables the mass of the ball and the height to which it is raised.
There is a direct relation between Gravitational Potential Energy and the Mass of an object; more massive
objects have greater gravitational potential energy. There is also a direct relation between Gravitational
Potential Energy and the Height of an Object; the More that an object is elevated, the greater the GPE.
These relationships are expressed by the following equation:”
PEgrav = mass • g • height
PEgrav = m *• g • h
Another way to look at this is: Potential Energy (unit is Joules) = Weight x Height
(since Mass x gravity (9.8) = weight)
*However, you know that we rarely look at WEIGHT in science in the way that YOU know weight. In Science, Weight is looked at
as a force (because it includes gravity). It is even given the unit Newton!
*Continue reading and scroll down to the “Quick Quiz” with the stairs and make sure you can calculate!
Kinetic Energy—Read the paragraph beginning with Kinetic Energy is the energy of motion. What is the
formula used to represent Kinetic Energy?
*What are the variables that determine the amount of kinetic energy? (explain what the letters above stand
for!).
m = mass of object v = speed of object
What is their relationship? *Meaning, explain the equation. I’ll start you… For every twofold increase in
speed, the kinetic energy will increase by a factor of four. For a threefold increase in speed, the kinetic
energy will increase by a factor of nine. And for a fourfold increase in speed, the kinetic energy will
increase by a factor of sixteen. The kinetic energy is dependent upon the square of the speed.
Is Kinetic Energy a scalar quantity or a vector quantity?
Kinetic energy is a scalar quantity; it does not have a direction. Unlike velocity, acceleration, force, and
momentum, the kinetic energy of an object is completely described by magnitude alone.
*Note, though V is used in the formula, speed is the variable used, not direction. This makes it scalar.