Energy Skate Park Experiment
Questions :
- When is potential energy the highest?
- When is kinetic energy the lowest?
- When does thermal energy grow?
- When is potential energy the highest?
Potential energy is highest when the player is high up in the air. When potential energy is low, the player is low on the ground.
2. When is kinetic energy the lowest?
Kinetic Energy is the lowest when the player is high in the air. When kinetic energy is highest, it is when the player is low on the ground.
3. When does Thermal energy grow?
Thermal energy grows when the player is moving between something really fast, and it creates friction and heat with the ground or path, so the time when thermal energy is highest is when the player is slowing down and rowing back and forth until he or she stops.
You can see these three kinds of systems in the bar graph below the word βenergyβ.
These kinds of systems can be found in real-life experiences, like when you are riding bike and going up a hill, the potential energy grows. Another is when you slide down the slide, the kinetic energy grows up, while the potential energy goes down. There is another one which you might rub your hands because you are cold, and you hands get hot because when you rub your hands together, the thermal energy grows. Thermal energy can also be called friction.
Input and Output
When you enter the game, you can see a set of controls on your right. You can press some of the buttons on the controls (input), and you can see the changes after you press the controls (output). Input is when you put data or instructions in a computer for the machine to process. Output is what you receive when you put the input in the program.
In the controls, you can change its amount of friction, gravity, and mass. You can also change its height and track.
When you enter the input to the computer, it puts in the variable. The variable contains the controls in the game (Tracks, gravity, mass, friction, and height). A variable is a place where the computer stores the information you put in, which are referenced and manipulated by the computer program.
what happens?
What happens if I change the mass of the skater?
- Least mass
When I change the mass of the skater to the least, the skater will be very small and the potential energy and the kinetic energy will keep changing height of the bars, but the thermal energy is at 0. The skaterβs height will also be very short at little mass. If I add lots of friction to the skater, it will have a little bit of potential and kinetic energy at the start when it is rowing high, but when it slows down, the potential and kinetic energy keeps getting smaller and smaller until there is only very little thermal energy.
2. Most Mass
If I have no friction added and I put the skater on the track, it will keep rowing and still have a lot of potential and kinetic energy. The skater will be very big when you change the mass of him/her. When i look at the energy graph when my player is rowing across and back of the track, the potential and kinetic energy bars will go very tall, but, the same as the least mass, the thermal energy will stay at the very bottom without showing. When I add lots of friction, the potential and kinetic energy bars will start very high in the energy graph, but the thermal energy will slowly go up as the potential and kinetic energy both go down.
Simulation
What is a simulation? A simulation is something that models real life. In the Energy Skate Park game, you get to experience what happens if you skate with different controls. This simulation helped me learn that if you do different things to a player, like to put it somewhere else, it can affect the systems: kinetic, potential, and thermal. This simulation modeled real life so I know what will happen if I do something to a player or thing.
What did I see?
I saw the player, the controls (input), and the energy bars (kinetic, potential, thermal).
How is this like a Computer Game?
This is like a computer game because there is a play and stop button, which starts and stops the player from moving. I can also customize the track or create my own tracks.
My thoughts
I like this game because:
What I learned:
I learned what potential, kinetic, and thermal energy were in the Colorado Phet Skate Park. I learned that Potential energy occurs when kinetic energy is the lowest. I learned that kinetic energy and potential energy change lengths of bars when the skater is up high and low on the ground. I learned that thermal energy is friction of when two thing rub against each other to create heat. This simulation helped me learn what happens if I add lots mass to a skater and what happens if I keep the mass of the skater very little. It has also taught me what happens when I added lots of friction and very little friction to two objects.
I would recommend this to a friend, neighbor, or anyone you think this would be fun to!
ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ
What will happen if I do the same things to the player, but this time the player isnβt sticking to the track?
Goodbye! Thank you for reading this blog.
