Name: ______________________________________ Date: ________________________
Student Exploration: Potential Energy on Shelves
It takes energy to climb up to the top of a diving board, and of
course a diver that leaps off the board and makes a big splash in
the water also has a lot of energy. But how much energy does a
diver have while he is standing at the top of the diving board?
Even at the top of the board, the diver has energy—a type of
energy called potential energy. Potential energy is the energy an
object has because of its position or shape. Using the Potential
Energy on Shelves Gizmo, you will discover how gravity gives
objects potential energy because of their position above the floor.
Activity:
Factors affecting
GPE
Get the Gizmo ready:
Select the BAR CHART tab and turn on Show
numerical values.
Introduction: Because gravity pulls objects down to Earth’s surface, objects lifted above
Earth’s surface have a type of potential energy called gravitational potential energy, or GPE.
Question: What factors affect how much gravitational potential energy an object has?
1. Observe : Drag the ball to the 1-m shelf on the SIMULATION pane.
A. What is the ball’s potential energy (PE)? _______________
B. Move the ball to the 2-m shelf. What is its potential energy now? _______________
C. What do you think the ball’s potential energy will be on the 3-m shelf? The 4-m shelf?
PE on 3-m shelf: _______________ PE on 4-m shelf: _______________
Use the Gizmo to check your answers. (Click the control on the bar graph to zoom out.)
2. Summarize : What is the relationship between an object’s height above the ground and its
gravitational potential energy? _________________________________________________
3. Describe : Move the ball from side to side (left to right) while trying to keep it at the same
height. How does changing the horizontal position of the ball affect its potential energy?
_________________________________________________________________________
4. Infer : Place the ball and the paper on the same shelf.
