Move It! Conservation of Energy & Energy Transfer in Crashes
Rollercoasters are all about mechanical energy!Copyright Physics Department, University of Pennsylvania
Students learn how the conservation of energy applies to impact situations such as a car crash or a falling objects. Mechanical energy is the most easily understood form of energy for students. When mechanical energy is involved, something moves. Mechanical energy is a very important concept to understand. Engineers need to know what happens when something heavy falls from a long distance changing its potential energy into kinetic energy. Automotive engineers need to know what happens when cars crash into each other, and why they can do so much damage, even at low speeds! Our knowledge of mechanical energy is used to help design things like bridges, engines, cars, tools, parachutes and even buildings!
This lesson covers one of the fundamental principles of engineering and applied physics, the law of conservation of energy, a key concept in many areas of engineering. During the associated activity, Bombs Away! Egg Drop Experiment, students use energy concepts just as engineers do to design devices to cushion impact and protect dropped eggs.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Identify the difference between kinetic and potential energy.
- Explain how energy is transferred in an impact situation such as a car crash.