Energy on a Ramp Worksheet
Goal: Track how gravitational potential energy turns into kinetic energy on a frictionless ramp, and test whether the ramp angle or the mass changes the speed at the bottom.
What to do
- Press Reset (2 kg block, 5 m high, 30° ramp). Drag the Time slider all the way to the left and record the top row.
- Press Play and let the block reach the bottom, or drag the Time slider all the way to the right. Record the bottom row.
- Drag the Time slider back until the height reads about 2.5 m and record that row.
- Press Reset, then “Gentle ramp”, and record the values at the bottom. Repeat with “Steep ramp” and “Double the mass”, pressing Reset before each.
Record your results
| Setting | Height | Speed | Kinetic energy | Potential energy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top of the 30° ramp | ||||
| Halfway down in height | ||||
| Bottom of the 30° ramp | ||||
| Gentle ramp (15°), bottom | ||||
| Steep ramp (60°), bottom | ||||
| Double the mass (4 kg), bottom |
Questions
Add the kinetic and potential energy in each 2 kg row. What do you notice?
Did the ramp angle change the speed at the bottom? Explain why or why not.
Doubling the mass doubled one bottom reading but not the other. Which one, and why?
At half the height, is the block moving at half its final speed? Use your table.
Predict, then test: what speed will the block reach at the bottom if it starts 10 m high (twice as high)?
This model has no friction. What would change on a real ramp?
Free from The Physics Lab · thephysicslab.org · HS-PS3-1: Use a computational model to calculate energy changes between the components of a system.