Lesson 72 of 84 · Energy Transfer
Experiment⭐ 30 XP⚡ Spark LabPotential Energy: Stored Energy (Part 3)
Energy Transfer.
🎯 Your mission
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
⚡ The twist
The opposite of what you expect is often what happens.
Mind = Blown
🎢 You feel weightless on a roller coaster because you and the seat are falling at the same speed.
Make a hypothesis first
Predict: what happens if you double the force?
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
- potential energy
- work
- power
Materials Needed
- spring scale
- stopwatch
- pencils
- toy cars
- ramps
- string
Safety First
- Wear safety goggles when mixing liquids.
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.”
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