Energy Skate Park Activity!

Bryce Bright
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)
No they dont, reach the same exact height in the friction

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)
Green Is Kinetic Energy and Blue is Potential Energy

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)
He has the highest amount in the middle of the ramp or on the bottom. He has the
lowest on each side at the top.

4. When does the skater have the highest amount of potential energy? When is the skaters
potential energy the lowest? (2 pts)

When the skater is at the top of the ramp he hass the highest and lowest at the
middle

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)

2756.25j is the potential energy

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)
56.99j is the kinetic 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)
He eventually stops in the bottom of the track.

b) Describe what you see happening to the Thermal Energy, Kinetic Energy, and
Potential Energy graphs as time goes by: (3 pts)
It goes up and then resets to the beginning.

c) Does the Potential Energy actually become zero? Explain why: (3 pts)
The potential energy does not become 0 there is still potential left.

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 kinetic energy gets higher lower the 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
As you change the location it either increases or decreases.
happening: (4pts)