Sources and Forms of Energy – KE and GPE

The law of conservation of energy tells us that energy cannot be created or destroyed – this means that if an object raised above the ground is released without being pushed, it will not be able to reach a greater height than the height from which is was released. Observe a science teacher put his life on the line to demonstrate this law!

1. Click on the button “Intro”
2. Drag and drop the skater on the top of one end of the ramp
3. Check the box “Bar Graph” to observe how the amount of kinetic energy, potential energy and thermal (heat) energy changes at different points along the ramp
4. Move the slider to change the mass of the skater. Observe how the mass of the skater affects the amount of energy she has
5. Click on the button “Friction” below and move the slider to change the amount of friction between the skateboard and the ramp. Observe how it affects the amount of kinetic energy, potential energy and thermal (heat) energy