Check my understanding

Equations learned so far:

• work done = _____________ x ____________

• gravitational potential energy =

__________ x ____________________ x _____________

1. A student of mass 45 kg steps on a box which is 0.2 m high.

Calculate her increase in gravitational potential energy

2. An aeroplane with mass 36,000 kg takes off and climbs to 12 km

above sea level. Calculate its increase in gravitational potential
energy.
31/05/22

P1.5 Kinetic energy and

elastic energy stores
After this lesson you should know –

 What the amount of energy in a kinetic energy store depends on

 How to calculate the amount of energy in a kinetic energy store
 What an elastic potential energy store is
 How to calculate the amount of energy in an elastic potential energy
store
 Kinetic energy
Kinetic energy is the energy stored within a moving object
It depends on the object’s:
• Mass
• Velocity

The heavier the

object, the more
kinetic energy
The faster the object
moves, the more
kinetic energy
Kinetic energy
Example 1
A student of mass 30 kg runs at a speed of 3 m/s.
Calculate the student’s store of kinetic energy.
Example 2
A student runs at a
speed of 8 m/s and
has a kinetic energy
of 500J.
(÷8 8)
Calculate the ) (÷
student’s mass

𝑚=62.5 𝑘𝑔
Example 3
A student has a mass
of 80 kg and a kinetic
energy of 600 J.

Calculate their speed. (÷4 0 )

0) (÷4
 Key Points
• The energy in the kinetic energy store of a
moving object depends on its mass and speed
Recap
1. What does the kinetic energy of an object
depend on?
The object’s mass and speed.

2. Calculate the kinetic energy of an apple

falling from a tree. It has a mass of 0.5kg and
is moving at a speed of 4m/s.
𝟏
𝑬 𝒌= 𝒙 𝒎 𝒙 𝒗 𝟐=𝟎 . 𝟓 𝒙 𝟎 .𝟓 𝒙 𝟒𝟐=𝟒 𝑱
𝟐
31/05/22

P1.5 Kinetic energy and

elastic energy stores
After this lesson you should know –

 What the amount of energy in a kinetic energy store depends on

 How to calculate the amount of energy in a kinetic energy store
 What an elastic potential energy store is
 How to calculate the amount of energy in an elastic potential energy
store
 Elastic potential energy
Elastic potential energy is the energy stored within a
stretched or compressed object such as a spring.
It depends on the object’s:
• Extension
• Spring constant
The more stretched
the object, the more
elastic potential
energy
The stiffer the object,
the more elastic
potential energy
 Elastic potential energy

elastic 1 spring 2
potential ¿ 𝑥 𝑥 𝑒𝑥𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛
2 constant
energy
 Example 1
A spring is stretched by 0.1 m. It has a spring constant
of 500 N/m. Calculate the energy stored in the spring.
Example 2
A spring is 20 cm
long and is
stretched to 50 cm
taking 2 J of energy
(÷0 5 )
.0 4 . 0 4
Calculate the spring 5) (÷0
constant of the
spring

𝑘=44.4 𝑁 /𝑚
Example 3
A spring has a spring
constant of 5 N/m. It
is stretched and has a
store of 50 J of
energy. (÷4 0 )
0) (÷4
Calculate the
extension of the
spring.
 Using conservation of energy
If there are no frictional forces, the entirety of one
store of energy can be transferred into another store
elastic potential energy -> kinetic energy Gravitational potential energy -> kinetic energy

𝑬 𝒑=𝒎 𝒈𝒉
𝟏 𝟐
𝑬 𝒌= 𝒎𝒗
𝟐

𝟏
𝑬 𝒆= 𝒌 𝒆𝟐
𝟐

𝟏 𝟐
𝑬 𝒌= 𝒎𝒗
𝟐
 Key Points
• When work is done on an object to stretch it,
energy is stored as elastic potential energy