Energy Skate Park: Basics

Teaching Resources

Main Topics

• Energy
• Conservation of Energy
• Kinetic Energy
• Potential Energy
• Friction

Sample Learning Goals

• Explain the Conservation of Mechanical Energy concept using kinetic energy (KE) and gravitational potential energy (PE).
• Describe how the Energy Bar and Pie Charts relate to position and speed.
• Explain how changing the Skater Mass affects energy. (Tab 1)
• Explain how changing the Track Friction affects energy. (Tab 2)
• Predict position or estimate speed from Energy Bar and Pie Charts.
• Calculate speed or height at one position from information about a different position.
• Calculate KE and PE at one position from information about a different position.
• Design a skate park using the concepts of mechanical energy and energy conservation.

Teaching Ideas

Title	Authors	Level	Type	Updated
Energy Skate Park Basics Lesson	UTeach Middle School PhET Team	MS	Lab	6/22/12
Energy Skate Park Basics	Noah Podolefsky	MS	Lab	2/21/12
Energy Skate Park Basics Energy Exploration	Jessica Colonel	MS	Lab	3/21/13
Conservation of Energy - conceptual	Paul Broberg	HS MS	Lab	4/17/12
Conservation of Energy (basic) PhET Lab	Chris Bires	HS MS	Lab	4/7/12
Introduction to Energy Model	Greg Schade	HS MS	Lab	2/21/12

You can submit your own ideas and activities.

Related Simulations

Energy Skate Park	Masses & Springs	Ramp: Forces and Motion
Collision Lab

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Software Requirements

Credits