Lesson 41 of 84 · Forces and Motion
Simulation⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark LabPotential Energy: Stored Energy (Part 2)
Forces and Motion.
🎯 Your mission
Run the sim. Spot the pattern.
⚡ The twist
Energy never disappears — it just hides somewhere else.
Mind = Blown
⚡ Static electricity is the same physics as lightning, just smaller.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you start: which will move faster, and why?
What You'll Learn
Potential energy is stored energy based on position or condition. A ball at the top of a hill has gravitational potential energy. A stretched rubber band has elastic potential energy.
Key Words
- force
- energy
- kinetic
Steps
Study the diagram and label the parts you recognize.
Test friction: pull a weighted box across 4 surfaces (carpet, tile, sandpaper, foil). Use a spring scale to measure the force needed for each.
Use your senses (except taste) to describe what you notice.
Write a summary of your findings in 3-5 sentences.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What type of energy does a stretched rubber band have?
Where you see this in real life
You use this every time you flip a light switch, ride a bike, or kick a ball.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Time how long a small ball rolls down something, then change the slope and try again.
For the dinner table
“Show me something at home that uses this kind of energy.”
Next Smart Experiment
We'll pick an experiment that matches exactly how you're thinking right now.
Share this experiment
Send it to a parent who's looking for a 10-minute kitchen science win.
Checkout complete lesson on Forces and Motion for 3rd Grade
Get the full Forces and Motion track as a printable PDF — all lessons, worksheets, and answer keys.