Certainly! Here are the answers for the Skate Park Lab questions based on the given information:
1. Based on the information given in the table, the skateboarder has the greatest potential energy at point A. Explain why.
Answer: The skateboarder has the greatest potential energy at point A because potential energy is determined by the height of the object above a reference point (in this case, the ground). At a height of 6 meters, the skateboarder is at the highest point in the table, resulting in the maximum potential energy of 4,704 Joules. This is due to the gravitational potential energy formula: PE = mgh, where m is mass, g is gravity, and h is height.
2. At which point in the image would the skateboarder have the greatest Kinetic Energy & Why?
Answer: The skateboarder would have the greatest kinetic energy at the bottom of the ramp, specifically at point C (0m height). This is because kinetic energy is maximized when an object is moving at its highest speed. At point C, the skateboarder has a speed of 10.8 m/s², converting all the potential energy (that was obtained from the height) into kinetic energy, resulting in 4,704 Joules of kinetic energy.
3. 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?
Answer: Increasing the mass of the skateboarder will increase the total amount of energy (both kinetic and potential energy) in the system. Since potential energy is calculated using the formula PE = mgh, a greater mass (m) will lead to a higher potential energy at a given height. Consequently, as the skateboarder descends, the increased potential energy will convert into a proportional increase in kinetic energy, resulting in a higher total energy value throughout the motion.
4. If we could increase the height of the ramp to start at 12 meters. How would this affect the overall Kinetic & Potential Energy of the investigation? Explain why.
Answer: Increasing the height of the ramp to 12 meters would increase the initial potential energy of the skateboarder, as potential energy is directly proportional to height (PE = mgh). With the new height, the potential energy would be greater than that calculated at 6 meters (4,704 Joules). As the skateboarder descends from the higher point, the increased potential energy would convert to kinetic energy, thus also increasing the kinetic energy when they reach the ground. This means that both forms of energy would be higher in the investigation.
5. Now place your skateboarder at the 6 meters mark and let the investigation play out. What happened and why?
Answer: When the skateboarder is placed at the 6-meter mark and allowed to descend, they start with a maximum potential energy of 4,704 Joules and little to no kinetic energy as they begin at rest. As the skateboarder goes down the ramp, the potential energy converts into kinetic energy, allowing the skateboarder to accelerate. By the time they reach the bottom (0 meters), the potential energy is 0, and the kinetic energy increases to 4,704 Joules. This demonstrates the conservation of energy, where the total energy in the system remains constant throughout the movement; energy is transformed from potential to kinetic as the height decreases.