Lets Go!

Elementary Science 16 - 1
Activity
16
Driving with Energy
People get energy from the food they eat. Energy also comes in other forms, like the
electricity that allows us to turn on lights and heat water. Energy comes from different
sources, but did you know that most energy, no matter what it is used for or where it
comes from, can be classified as either potential energy or kinetic energy? Lets take a
look at these two types of energy.
Energy waiting to be released is called potential energy. Objects with only potential
energy arent in motion, but could be soon. Objects in motion hae energy called kinetic
energy. Energy can change from potential to kinetic and back again. !or e"ample, when
you are at the top of a roller#coaster ride, the car is barely moing, but it is so high off
the ground it has a lot of potential energy. $hat means it has the potential to gain speed
when it goes down the hill. %s it descends, potential energy is conerted to kinetic energy.
%t the bottom, when the roller coaster is moing the fastest, the potential energy has
been conerted into kinetic energy. &inetic energy is then conerted back to potential
energy as it climbs back up the hill. 'hen the ride ends and stops moing at the bottom,
it contains neither potential nor kinetic energy.
(n this actiity, a toy car will be pulled back a certain distance, giing it a certain amount
of potential energy. $he distance your toy car traels will be an indicator of how much
kinetic energy it has.
OBJE!"#ES
(n this actiity, you will
)ary the amount of potential energy in a toy car.
*se +o, -otion to measure the moement of a toy car.
.efine kinetic and potential energy.
$A!E%"ALS
computer with Logger Lite software installed
+o, -otion motion detector
pull#back toy car /friction car0
meter stick
&E' ()ES!"O*
16 - + Lets Go! Elementary Science
Activity 16
.oes greater potential energy conert into greater kinetic energy?
,'-O!,ES"S
$he more potential energy a toy car has, the 1111111111111111 /more or less0 kinetic
energy it will hae.
-%OED)%E
2. 3et up the +o,

-otion and the car for data collection.
a. -ake sure the +o, -otion is connected to the computer.
b. 3et the switch on the +o, -otion to the 4ormal setting as shown
here.
c. Position the head of the +o, -otion so it is at a 567 angle, as in the drawing below.
d. 8our team is going to drie todays e"periment. !ollow along closely with the
directions, and fasten your safety belt,
9. 3tart Logger Lite on your computer.
:. Open the file for this actiity by doing the following;
a. <lick on the Open button, .
b. Open the folder called =Elementary 3cience.>
c. Open the file called =2? .riing with Energy.>
@. Put the meter stick in front of the +o,

-otion with the 6 cm end close to it. Look at
the drawing to show you how to position the meter stick. $ape the stick to the table
so it doesnt moe.
Lets Go! Elementary Science 16 - .
Driving with Energy
A. !ollow these steps to collect data;
a. 3traddle the car oer the meter stick and position the front wheels at the 9A cm
mark.
b. Pull the car 26 cm backwards to the 2A cm mark.
c. $hink about what kind of energy the car has now as it is held in place and write it in
the blank below.

d. Bae one person in your group click , and when you hear fast clicking, hae
the person holding the car release it.
e. $hink about what kind of energy the car has while it is moing and write it in the
blank below.

?. !ind how far the car moed from the +o,

-otion by doing the following;
a. Look in the Latest Position column of the .ata $able on the computer screen.
b. !ind the biggest alue in the Position column and record it in the right place in the
.istance traeled column in the .ata $able, below.
Data !a/le
%0n
-0ll/ac1
2istance
Distance
travele2
1 13 cm m
+ 14 cm m
. +3 cm m
C. $o label and sae your data, do the following;
a. !rom the (nsert menu, select $e"t %nnotation.
b. (n the bo" that appears, type; 26 cm pullback.
c. -oe the bo" and the arrow near your data.
d. <lick the 3tore button, , to sae the data.
16 - 5 Lets Go! Elementary Science
Activity 16
D. 4ow, do the following to collect data for a 2A cm pullback;
a. 3traddle the car oer the meter stick. Position the front wheels at the :6 cm
mark.
b. Pull the car 2A cm backwards to the 2A cm mark.
c. Bae one person in your group click , and when the +o, -otion starts to click,
hae the person holding the car release it.
5. Eepeat 3teps ? and C to e"amine, label, and sae your data.
26. <ollect data for a 96 cm pullback by doing the following;
a. 3traddle the car oer the meter stick and position the front wheels at the :A cm
mark
b. Pull the car 96 cm backwards to the 2A cm mark.
c. Bae one person in your group click , and when the +o, -otion starts to click,
hae the person holding the car release it.
22. Eepeat 3teps ? and C to e"amine, label, and sae your data.
A*AL'6E 'O)% DA!A
2. 'hat did you do to your car in this actiity to gie it more potential energy?


9. 'hich of your three trials showed more kinetic energy?

:. %t the beginning of this actiity, you wrote a hypothesis that answered the following
Fuestion; .oes greater potential energy conert into greater kinetic energy? 'as your
hypothesis correct? E"plain, using the data you collected.


Lets Go! Elementary Science 16 - 4
Driving with Energy
+ood job,,