2010-2011

FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS EXACTAS

VIRTUAL LABORATORY: ENERGY
SECOND TRIMESTER SIXTH GRADE 2018-2019
Name Group
6th ___ Score:
: :
Teacher Nathalia González & Maria José Montoya
Date:
: Mejía
Goal: The student is able to explain that energy cannot be created nor destroyed; it can be transformed
or transferred.
I. Part I: Set the simulation in Introduction.
Turn on the ‘Bar Graph,’ ‘Grid,’ and ‘Speed’ options. Set the skater 2 meters above the
ground on the ramp and release him.
1. What type of energy does the skater have at the 2-meter mark? [____ /2]
If the skater falls from 6 meters, the kinetic energy is higher than the potential energy, but if
the skater falls from 8 meters, the kinetic energy is higher than the potential energy, and the
potential energy is higher than the thermal energy.
2. How high does the skater get on the other end of the ramp? [____ /2]
The skater goes to the opposite meter that you make it fall, if you throw it from 6 meters it
will keep in the ramp, but if you throw it 7 meter or more, it will get out of the ramp, because
it always goes to the opposite part of the ramp but with the same meter number.
3. Explain, in terms of the conservation of energy (described in the goal), why the
skater will never go higher than your answer to question 2 at this point. [____ /3]
It depends if you decrese or increase the mass, because if we have a big mass, the kinetic
and potential keep moving up and down, but at the end of the ramp, the potential enegy is
bigger and the bars of the bar chart are bigger than the ones on the small mass ones. If we
have a small mass, the kinetic and potential energy will also keep moving, but at the end of
the ramp, the bars from the bar chart are smaller than the large mass ones. The speed is the
same in each type of mass.
II. Click on the “Restart skater button”. And again turn on the ‘Bar Graph,’
‘Grid,’ and ‘Speed’ options. [_____ /5]
1. How does the skater’s kinetic energy change as he moves down the ramp?
The kinetic energy starts increasing until the bar is bigger than the potential energy one,
because he moves more and faster when he is going down than when he is going up, it
makes it more difficult.
2. How does the skater’s kinetic energy change as he moves up the ramp?
The kinetic energy starts decreasing and the bar becomes smaller than the potential energy
one, because it will slow down a bit and will decrease its movement.
3. How does the skater’s potential energy change as he moves down the ramp?
The potential energy starts decreasing until it is smaller than the kinetic energy one, because
you need more kinetic energy than potential energy no move, kinetic energy is “more
important”.
4. How does the skater’s potential energy change as he moves up the ramp?
The potential energy starts increasing until it is larger than the kinetic energy one, because it
will need more of the potential energy to move where he wants to go, without potential
energy, the skater will not go up.
5. How does the skater’s total energy change as he moves down the ramp?
The total energy always stays the same, even if the skater goes up or down the ramp, but if
you change the mass of the skater, the total energy will be bigger.
III. Move the skater image where it might be based on the bar graphs shown. Compare
your results with a nearby lab group, AFTER you have completed this section. [___ /8]

Adapted from: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/energy-skate-park-basics

 .

IV. Consider this zany track. What point or points on this track would the skater
have...?

a. The most kinetic energy?In letter C, because it reaches

the maximum point for it to use the kinetic energy, from
there on, the skater will not need that much because it is
going up. [____ /2]

b. The most potential energy? In letter A, because it will

need more of it to move upwards. [_ /2]

c. The same kinetic energy (two letters)? In letter B and E, because they have the
same position in the track.[_____ /2]

V. Now click on the “Friction” window and choose the first track. Then turn on the
“Bar graph” and play with the variables: mass and friction to answer the
following questions (select 1 answer). [_____ /8]

1. Keeping the friction in 0, increase slowly the mass of the skater. What happens with
the total energy value?

☒a. The more mass the more total energy ☐b. The more mass the less total energy
☐c. The more mass the more thermal energy ☐c. The energy remains the same

2. Do not change the value of the mass but increase slowly the friction on the track.
Analyze and complete “The more friction …”
☐a. The more kinetic energy ☐b. The more potential energy

☒c. The more thermal energy ☐d. The more total energy

3. Choose the correct option to describe the type of relation between mass and total
energy.
☐a. These two variables are not related ☐b. The relation between the two variables is
indirect
☒c. The relation between the two variables is ☐d. The more mass, the less energy
direct

4. Choose the correct option to describe the type of relation between kinetic and
potential energy.

Adapted from: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/energy-skate-park-basics

 ☐a. These two variables are not related ☒b. The relation between the two variables is
inverse
☐c. The relation between the two variables is ☐d. The more mass, the less energy
direct

VI. With the “friction” button on, energy can be dissipated (or “wasted”) in another
way on this type of simulation. [______ /6]
 What is the name of this wasted energy?
Thermal energy, because the track does not need any of it, so it is wasted.
 What is the name of the useful energy?
Kinetic energy, because if you increase friction, it will make it more difiicult for the skater to
move, so it needs more kinetic energy.

Adapted from: http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/energy-skate-park-basics