Lesson objectives
To use the equations for calculating
kinetic energy store and gravitational
potential energy store
Starter:
What is the energy transfer in each example?
How is energy transferred in each example?
1. A bouncing 2. Riding a
ball bike
Kinetic
Elastic Chemical
potential Kinetic Mechanical
Mechanical Thermal
3. A bungee 4. A lightning strike from a
jump thundercloud
Gravitational Elastic Electrical Thermal
Kinetic Electrostatic
potential potential
Mechanical Radiation Thermal
(sound waves)
Kinetic energy = ½ x mass x
2
speed
Ek = ½ x m x v 2
1. If the mass is doubled what happens to the KE?
2 times 4 times
more more
1. If the mass is tripled what happens to the KE?
2 times 3 times 4 times 6 times
more more more more
1. If the velocity is doubled what happens to the KE?
2 times 3 times 4 times 6 times
more more more more
1. If the velocity is trebled what happens to the KE?
2 times 3 times 4 times 9 times
more more more more
Rearranging the equation: Ek = ½ x m x v2
• How would you find mass or velocity?
1) Put in the values first
2) Rearrange the equation
3) Include units
Calculate the speed of a What is the mass of a train that
cyclist whose mass is 80 kg has a kinetic energy of 1067 kJ
and kinetic energy is 5760 J and a velocity of 100 m/s
5760 = ½ x 80 x v2 2000 = ½ x m x 100
5760 = 40 x v2 2000 = 50 x m
5760 / 40 = v2 2000 / 50 = m
144 = v2 40 kg = m
12 m/s = v
2
Practice: Ek = ½ x m x v
1. A motorbike has 710,500 J of kinetic energy and a velocity of
70m/s. What is its mass? 710500 / 2450 = m
290 kg =m
1. A cyclist has 4000 J of kinetic energy and a velocity of 10 m/s.
What is their mass? 4000 / 50 = m
80 kg = m
1. A bullet with a mass of 0.020kg has 1400 J of energy in the
kinetic store. What is its velocity? 1400 / 0.01 = v2
2
140,000 = v 374 m/s =v
1. Find the velocity of a cyclist with a mass of 100 kg and 2500 J
2
of energy in the kinetic store. 2500 2/ 50 = v
50 = v 7 m/s =v
CHALLENGE
1. A car has 560 kJ of kinetic energy and a velocity of 40 m/s. What
5
is its mass? 560000 / 800 = m 700 kg = m
2. An oil tanker with a mass of 30 000 tonnes (1 tonne = 1000 kg)
has a kinetic energy of1.2
1.2x 10 9 9 J. What is its
x 10/ 15,000,000 = v2 speed?
80 = v2 8.9m/s = v
Gravitational Potential Energy (GPE)
1) What does the force of gravity depend on?
Mass and distance
1) What is the gravitational field strength on earth
and the moon? 9.8 N/kg and 1.6 N/kg
2) What is the difference between weight and
mass?
Weight is the force of gravity on mass /
mass is amount of matter
1) How can we calculate the gravitational potential
energy store?
GPE = m x g x h
Gravitational Potential Energy (GPE)
Gravitational potential energy is energy due to the
position of an object in a gravitational field.
If an object falls If an object
it will lose rises it will gain
gravitational gravitational
potential energy. potential
energy.
Calculating Gravitational Potential
Energy
The gravitational potential energy of any object is
calculated using the equation:
gravitational potential energy = mass x gravitational x height
field strength
J kg N/kg m
On Earth this
This may also be written as: GPE = mgh is almost 10
N/kg
GP energy = mass x gravitational field strength x
height
Eg = m x g x h
1. Which factors affect gravitational field strength?
temperature mass speed
1. If the height is doubled what happens to the GP energy?
doubles halves trebles quadruples
1. If the mass is halved what happens to the GP energy?
doubles halves trebles quadruples
1. If the field strength quadruples what happens to the GP
energy?
doubles halves trebles quadruples
Practice: Eg = m x g x h
For all of these questions, assume g = 10N/kg, unless stated.
1. Find the gravitational potential energy stored when an apple of mass 0.23 kg, 65 m
above the Earth’s surface.
150 J (149.5 J)
1. A cable car of mass 4 500 kg is suspended 1 200 m above the Earth’s surface. Find the
gravitational potential energy stored. 54 000 000 J or 5.4 x 107 J
1. Challenge: An astronaut lifts a golf ball 2.6 m above the Moon’s surface. If the golf
ball’s mass is 200 g, find the gravitational potential energy stored. Assume g = 1.63
N/kg.
0.85 J
1. Challenge: An aeroplane flies over Britain at a height of 6.8 km. If its mass is 500 kg,
find the gravitational potential energy stored in kJ.
(34,000 kJ or 34,000,000J)
Rearranging the equation: Eg = m x g x h
• How would you find mass or height?
1) Put in the values first
2) Rearrange the equation
3) Include units
A tightrope walker has a mass of
A lift is raised 20 m and stores
55kg and has a gravitational potential
38 000 J. What is the mass of the
energy of 9625 J. Calculate the height
lift and its occupants?
of the tightrope.
9625 = 55 x 10 x h 38000 = m x 10 x 20
9625 = 550 x h 38000 = m x 200
9625 / 550 = h 38000 / 200 = m
17.5 m= h 190 kg = m
Practice: Eg = m x g x h
1. A helicopter hovers 600 m above a field and 3 600 000
J of gravitational potential energy is stored.
Assume g = 10N/kg, find the
3 600 helicopter’s
000 = m x 10 x 600mass.
3 600 000 / 6000 = m 600 kg = m
1. What is the mass of a satellite 250 000 m above the
Moon’s surface if 1 250 000 J of gravitational potential
energy is stored? Assume g on
1 250 000 = mthe Moon
x 1.63 x 250=000
1.63 N/kg.
1 250 000 / 407 500 = m 3.06 kg = m
1. A buzzard is suspended 120 m above the Earth’s
surface. Assuming g = 10 N/kg, what is the mass of the
12 buzzard if the gravitational
3600 = m potential
x 10 x 120 energy stored is
3600 J? 3600 / 1200 = m 3.0 kg = m
What is the energy transfer
when an egg is dropped from a
height?
Mechanical Kinetic
Gravitational Potential Energy
Radiation
(sound waves)
Thermal
Egg drop challenge
Can you drop an egg from a height of 10ft
and prevent it from breaking when it reaches
the floor?
What makes a good parachute?
To maximise air resistance by having a large surface area
It needs to be stable by maintaining the surface area as it
falls
To minimise extra weight added by the parachute
What makes a good
parachute?
• Think carefully about the design of your
parachute
• A hole in the apex (at the top) will enable it to fall
straight down
• Dividing the parachute into equal sections
• Length of the string
• Size of the parachute
• Shape of your parachute
• Harness for your egg
• Minimising weight
Your task
•You will work in small groups to design,
model and create a parachute for an egg.
Your parachute must ensure that when the
egg is dropped from a height of 10ft it does
not crack upon contact with the floor.
•Aim is to use the minimal number of points
in the resources used. You must keep a
record of how many points you use
•You must show me your design and list at
the end of the lesson
You have limited resources and a maximum
of 30 points to spend….
• Plastic carrier bag (4pts)
• Wooden lollipop sticks (1pt each)
• Straws (2pts each)
• Pipe cleaner (3 pts)
• 1m cellotape (3pts)
• Glue stick (1pt each)
• 1 pair of scissors (2pts)
• 1m string (3pts)
• Small ball of blue tack (2pts)
• 1 sheet of A4 paper (2pts)
• 1 sheet of A3 paper (3 pts)
• Small ball of cotton wool (4pts)
• Any other specific request, ask me (5pts)
