A science class goes to an amusement park to investigate potential and kinetic energy. Which action best demonstrates potential energy being transformed into kinetic energy?
Responses
a moving bumper car slams into another bumper car that is sitting still
a moving bumper car slams into another bumper car that is sitting still
a roller coaster slowly climbs the tall hill at the beginning of the ride
a roller coaster slowly climbs the tall hill at the beginning of the ride
a fireworks rocket shoots upward into the night sky above the park
a fireworks rocket shoots upward into the night sky above the park
a bungee jumper is released at the top of a tall tower and starts to fall
a bungee jumper is released at the top of a tall tower and starts to fall
The action that best demonstrates potential energy being transformed into kinetic energy is a roller coaster slowly climbing the tall hill at the beginning of the ride.
The action that best demonstrates potential energy being transformed into kinetic energy is when a roller coaster slowly climbs the tall hill at the beginning of the ride.
To understand why this is the best demonstration, let's review the concepts of potential and kinetic energy.
Potential energy is the energy stored in an object due to its position or condition. In this case, the roller coaster has potential energy at the top of the hill because it is positioned at a higher height. The higher the height, the more potential energy it possesses.
On the other hand, kinetic energy is the energy an object possesses due to its motion. When the roller coaster starts to descend the hill, its potential energy is gradually converted into kinetic energy. As it moves faster and gains speed, the roller coaster's kinetic energy increases while its potential energy decreases.
Therefore, the action of a roller coaster slowly climbing the tall hill at the beginning of the ride demonstrates the conversion of potential energy into kinetic energy.