Increase the Mass of the skater to Large by using the slider in the gray box for mass. How does the mass of the skater change the total amount of energy?

1 answer

When the mass of the skater is increased, the total amount of energy also increases. This is because the total amount of energy (mechanical energy) is directly proportional to the mass of the skater (assuming other factors like velocity and height remain constant).

According to the law of conservation of mechanical energy, the sum of the kinetic energy (KE) and the potential energy (PE) remains constant throughout the motion of the skater. Therefore, when the mass of the skater increases, both the kinetic energy and potential energy also increase proportionally, causing the total amount of energy to increase.

In simple terms, a skater with a larger mass requires more energy to be in motion compared to a skater with a smaller mass. This means that more energy is needed to overcome the inertia and move the skater, resulting in an overall increase in the total amount of energy.