Question

Using Potential and Kinetic Energy Quick Check

Answers

GPT-4o mini
Sure! Here’s a quick overview of kinetic and potential energy, along with a few questions for you to check your understanding.

### Kinetic Energy (KE)
- **Definition**: The energy of an object due to its motion.
- **Formula**: \( KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2 \)
- Where \( m \) is the mass of the object (in kilograms) and \( v \) is the velocity of the object (in meters per second).

### Potential Energy (PE)
- **Definition**: The energy stored in an object due to its position or state.
- **Gravitational Potential Energy Formula**: \( PE = mgh \)
- Where \( m \) is the mass (in kilograms), \( g \) is the acceleration due to gravity (approximately \( 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 \) on Earth), and \( h \) is the height above the ground (in meters).

### Quick Check Questions
1. **If a car of mass 1,000 kg is moving at a speed of 20 m/s, what is its kinetic energy?**
2. **A rock weighing 5 kg is placed on a ledge 10 meters high. What is its gravitational potential energy?**
3. **If you drop a ball from a height of 5 meters, what happens to its potential energy as it falls?**
4. **Consider a roller coaster at the top of a hill. As it rolls down, how does its energy transform between potential and kinetic?**

### Answers
1. **Kinetic Energy Calculation**:
\[
KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2 = \frac{1}{2} \times 1000 \, \text{kg} \times (20 \, \text{m/s})^2 = \frac{1}{2} \times 1000 \times 400 = 200,000 \, \text{Joules}
\]

2. **Potential Energy Calculation**:
\[
PE = mgh = 5 \, \text{kg} \times 9.81 \, \text{m/s}^2 \times 10 \, \text{m} = 490.5 \, \text{Joules}
\]

3. **Potential Energy as the ball falls**: As the ball falls, its height decreases, resulting in a decrease in potential energy, which is converted into kinetic energy, causing the ball to speed up.

4. **Energy transformation in the roller coaster**: At the top of the hill, the coaster has maximum potential energy and minimum kinetic energy. As it descends, potential energy is converted into kinetic energy, increasing its speed. At the bottom of the hill, kinetic energy is maximized while potential energy is minimized.

Feel free to ask if you have more questions or if you'd like to explore these concepts further!