Energy Skate Park Activity!

Braden Haag

NAME

Skateboarding started as a way for surfers to kill time when the waves
were not high enough for surfing has turned into an organized, competitive sport that boasts
internationally known athletes and a million dollar industry. One way physics comes into play in
the half-pipe is with the principle of conservation of energy. This activity explored the relation
between Kinetic and Potential energy in a half-pipe.
Play with the sim for a few minutes: adding track, resetting the skater when he falls off the track,
resetting the track, etc. Be sure to try out all the settings and tools to get familiar with all the
things that the simulation can do. Then answer the questions below.
1. Without friction on, does the skater hit the same height on the opposite sides of the track?
(Use the pause button and the measuring tape to help you determine this!) (2 pts)
yes

Now, turn on the energy Pie Chart, Energy vs. Position Graph, and Bar Graph. (You may need to
move things around a little to see everything.)
2. On all three visual aids, what color represents potential energy and which is kinetic energy?

(2 pts)
Blue

3. When does the skater have the highest amount of kinetic energy? When does the skater
have the lowest amount of kinetic energy? (2 pts)
When he is in the bottom of the track he has the most kinetic energy. He has the least
when at the tops of either side of the track.
4. When does the skater have the highest amount of potential energy? When is the skaters
potential energy the lowest? (2 pts)
Highest potential energy is achieved at the top of either side of the track. The lowest
pe is at the bottom of the track.
5. At the top of the track, CALCULATE the skaters potential energy relative to the bottom of
the track if his mass is 75 kg? SHOW ALL WORK (5 pts)
GPE=mgh

(75)(9.8)(3.85)

GPE= 2829.75 J

6. What SHOULD the skaters kinetic energy be at the bottom of the track (if his mass is 75
kg)? Explain your answer. (3 pts)
Should be 2829.75J because of conservation of energy
7. Now reset the entire simulator by clicking on the
button. Open the Energy
vs. Time Graph. Click on the Track Friction button and set the coefficient of friction to
about between None and Lots:
a) As time goes by, describe what happens to the skaters motion? (2 pts)
His motion slows until he stops
b) Describe what you see happening to the Thermal Energy, Kinetic Energy, and
Potential Energy graphs as time goes by: (3 pts)
He looses kinetic and pe energy as thermal heat.

c) Does the Potential Energy actually become zero? Explain why: (3 pts)
No because the skater is still above the ground level.

8. RESET the simulator once again. Open the Energy vs. Time Graph again. Now as the
skater is moving, choose a different skater using the
button. What
happens to the motion of the skater and the graphs of the energies as the mass of the
skater gets SMALLER? Describe FULLY what you see!! (4pts)
The rider has less potential and less kinetic energy due to a smaller mass

9.

Now return the skater to the original 75 kg guy. CLEAR the Energy vs. Time graph.
Choose JUPITER as the location and click GO on the Energy vs. Time Graph. After a
few passes, change the location to Earth then to the Moon and then to Space. You
may need to click
a few times and to restart the graph if you
run out of room BUT pay attention to the graph!! What do you notice happening to the
TOTAL energy of the skater as your change his location? EXPLAIN why that would be
Different changes in gravity have different outcomes for the potential energy an object
happening: (4pts)
receives on different locations.