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2/6 PotU: Video review for energy transformations and forces

photo showing riders on a roller coaster going down a steep hill

Warm up

Sketch the following roller coaster, then draw energy bar charts for Position A, B, and C.

image showing roller coaster with A at the top of a hill, B at the top of the the second, lower, hill, and C and D along a flat portion lower than the second hill.

No stamp today, but you will get credit for completing the warmup section for today.

Lesson

Video day. What the main video and answer the questions on the handout. You may ask the sub to pause the video if you need time to complete lengthier questions.

File Name: Roller-Coaster-Physics-video-notes.pdf

Other energy videos you may enjoy

Is energy conserved on a galactic scale? Watch the videos below:

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1/23-24 AP Phys: Energy practice problems in your textbook

Homework/classwork

Thursday

Page 152, Problems 21-24

Friday

Page 153, Problems 33, 35 (both spring energy), 47 (a red, make sure to do drawings before you start!), 29, 30, 32, 34, 43

Jackson suggests you do Problems 73 and 75; I guess I’ll have to try these this weekend 🙂

Questions? Post them below. Don’t forget, you can log in with just about any social network and receive email updates when your question is answered.

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1/15 AP Phys: Conservation of energy with springs & ramps

Learning objectives

The student is able to describe and make qualitative and/or quantitative predictions about everyday examples of systems with internal potential energy. (Science Practices 2.2, 6.4, and 7.2)

Introduction

Observe the demonstration and take notes on your observations and questions. Think about/answer the following questions:

  • If the track were steeper or shallower, how would the motion change? Justify your answer using your knowledge of kinematics and energy.
  • Short answer on our own (2 minutes).
  • Expand answer with our group (3 minutes) .
  • Expand answer with the class (5 minutes) .

Equipment

  • Low friction cart
  • Ramp
  • Meterstick
  • Stopwatch
  • Assorted masses

Tools

photo of a clinometer on a sloped surface displaying angle in degrees.
Clinometer measures the angle of a slope.
  • Calculator
  • Clinometer to measure angle of ramp
  • Whiteboard for sharing group work
  • Books or other objects to change the steepness of the track

Safety

  • Please keep carts on tables to prevent people from slipping on them (or damaging them).
  • The carts have spring plungers; make sure they aren’t compressed near delicate parts of your body, or breakable objects.
  • Think and be careful

Design and conduct an experiment to answer the following question.

  • If the track were steeper or shallower, how would the motion change? Justify your answer using your knowledge of kinematics and energy.

Keep focused on your objective!

Provide detailed procedural steps. Make sure that if you gave them to someone who had not completed the lab, they could do everything completely and in the same way your group did it.

Why are you doing each step, and what are reasonable measurements.

Are you completing these steps as you progress?

  1. Prelab notes
  2. Title
  3. Purpose
  4. Personal procedures/ideas
    • Group procedures/ideas/notes
  5. Class procedures/ideas/notes
  6. Data table
  7. Notes on experiment from as you conduct it.
  8. Scatter plot or other visual analysis of data.
  9. Processing/analyzing data:
  10. Group conclusion (what can your group conclude, without looking at other groups’ data?)
  11. Whiteboard notes
  12. Class data comparison and conclusions.