Energy Skate Park: Basics
- Explain the Conservation of Mechanical Energy concept using kinetic energy (KE) and gravitational potential energy (PE).
- Describe how the Energy Bar and Pie Charts relate to position and speed.
- Explain how changing the Skater Mass affects energy.
- Explain how changing the Track Friction affects energy.
- Predict position or estimate speed from Energy Bar and Pie Charts.
- Calculate speed or height at one position from information about a different position.
- Calculate KE and PE at one position from information about a different position.
- Design a skate park using the concepts of mechanical energy and energy conservation.
Introduction to Light
Light and the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. Wave and particle-like behaviour, and how to calculate the wavelength or frequency of a light wave.
Calculating height using energy
Learn how you can calculate the maximum height of a launched object by using the total energy of a system. Energy that is conserved can be transferred within a system from one object to another changing the characteristics of each object, like position.
Calculating velocity using energy
Learn how you can calculate the launch velocity of an object by using the total energy of a system. Energy that is conserved can be transferred within a system from one object to another changing the characteristics of each object, like velocity.
LOL Diagrams
An explanation of how LOL diagrams allow us to visually represent what we mean by conservation of energy as well as what we mean by an energy system.
Calculating Gravitational Potential Energy
Forces at a distance are explained by fields (gravitational, electric, and magnetic) permeating space that can transfer energy through space. Magnets or electric currents cause magnetic fields; electric charges or changing magnetic fields cause electric fields.
Calculating kinetic energy
Mathematical expressions, which quantify how the stored energy in a system depends on its configuration (e.g. relative positions of charged particles, compression of a spring) and how kinetic energy depends on mass and speed, allow the concept of conservation of energy to be used to predict and describe system behaviour.
Potential energy and position
The potential energy between two objects due to long-distance forces can be thought of as being stored in a field. When the objects move due to the field forces, the energy stored in the field decreases
Energy and fields
When two objects interacting through a field change relative position, the energy stored in the field is changed.