Measuring energy at the skater park

Activity 1

1. Click on the link below:

https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/energy-skate-park

2. Click on the tab called measure.   Move the measuring device on the left to a point halfway up the ramp.  Place the skater on the ramp and observe the amounts and changes in energy as the skater moves up and down the ramp.

3. Using the slider on the right-hand side increase the amount of friction on the ramp.  Place the skater on the ramp and observe.  

Conclusion

As the skater travels down the ramp, the gravitational potential energy is converted onto kinetic energy.  As with the pendulum, the skater's maximum gravitational energy is at its highest when the skater is at the top of the ramp.  The maximum amount of kinetic energy is when the skater is at the bottom of the ramp.

When the amount of friction is increased, the skater's speed slows down and the height the skater can reach is reduced.  This is because some of the gravitational potential energy is converted into thermal energy.  This means that there is less kinetic energy, and this causes the reduction in speed and height.