Puttin' It All Together
Students continue their investigation of energy of motionCopyright https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untamed_(roller_coaster)#/media/File:Canobie_Lake_Park_Untamed.jpg
On the topic of energy related to motion, this summary lesson ties together the concepts introduced in the previous four lessons and show how the concepts are interconnected in everyday applications. A hands-on activity demonstrates this idea and reinforces students' math skills in calculating energy, momentum and frictional forces.
For safety, when designing recreation and transportation vehicles, engineers take into account all of the energy of motion concepts. An engineer designing a scooter cannot focus on one concept, such as momentum, and ignore the effects of friction, mechanical energy or work on the scooter. No one would want to ride a scooter that overcomes friction so well that is does not stop! Consumers benefit from engineers who have a superb understanding of potential energy, kinetic energy, work, power, momentum, collisions, friction and drag.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Explain the concepts of kinetic and potential energy.
- Explain that energy can change from one form into another.
- Explain the difference between the scientific concepts of power and work.
- Differentiate the different types of friction: static friction, kinetic friction and drag.
- Describe energy, momentum, power and work and friction by equations.
- Calculate the amount of mechanical energy, momentum, power and work and friction in a system.
- Explain why energy of motion concepts are so fundamental to engineering design.