Name: Date:

Student Exploration: Potential Energy on Shelves

Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and
prompts in the orange boxes.

Vocabulary: gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy, potential energy, weight, work

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

1. Look at divers A and B in the picture at left. Which diver had to

put the most effort into climbing to the top of his board? Explain.

2. Which diver do you think will make the biggest splash? Explain.

Gizmo Warm-up
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.

1. Which object on the SIMULATION pane most likely has the least potential energy? Why?

2. Click on the TABLE tab. The potential energy (PE) of each object is given in joules (J).
List the objects in order from lowest to highest potential energies.

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 Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:

Factors affecting ● Select the BAR CHART tab and turn on Show
GPE 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. Identify: Highlight the factors below that you think affect an object’s potential energy.
mass vertical position velocity horizontal position
2. 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.)
3. Summarize: What is the relationship between an object’s height above the ground and its gravitational
potential energy?

4. 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?

5. Infer: Place the ball and the paper on the same shelf.

A. Which object has more potential energy?

B. Why do you think their potential energies are different?

6. Identify: What two factors affect how much gravitational potential energy an object has?

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 Activity B: Get the Gizmo ready:

Calculating GPE ● You will need a calculator to complete this activity.

Introduction: An object’s gravitational potential energy depends on two factors: its height (h) and its weight
(w). The equation for gravitational potential energy (GPE) is:

GPE = w × h

Goal: Use the gravitational potential energy equation to determine the weight, mass, and potential
energy of various objects.

1. Record: Position all three objects on the 1-m shelf and fill in the third column of the table.

Object Height (m) GPE (J or N•m) Weight (N)

Ball 1m
Clips 1m
Paper 1m

2. Calculate: For each object, substitute the values you know into the gravitational potential energy equation
to solve for weight. Record each object’s weight in the fourth column. (Use the triangle Mr R showed you to
figure out how to find the weight if you are given work and distance.)

3. Predict: Suppose the clips were placed on the 5-m shelf. What would their gravitational potential energy
be? (Show your work.)

Use the Gizmo to check your answer.

4. Calculate: An object’s weight is determined by its mass (m) and the force due to gravity (g) affecting that
object: w = mg. On Earth, g = 9.8 N/kg.

A. What are the masses (in kilograms) of the three objects on the Gizmo? (Note: 1 N = 1 kg × N/kg
which is the same as weight = mass * gravity) (Use the triangle Mr R showed you to figure out how
to find the mass if you are given weight and gravity.)

Ball: Clips: Paper:

B. Suppose a 4,000-kg elephant is hoisted 20 m above Earth’s surface. What will the elephant’s
gravitational potential energy be? (Show your work in the space below.)

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 Activity C: Get the Gizmo ready:

Work and GPE ● Place the ball, clips, and paper at 0 m.

Introduction: Whenever you lift an object to place it on a shelf, you are doing work. Work occurs anytime a
force causes an object to move.

Question: How much work is done to lift the ball, clips, and paper?

1. Observe: How much potential energy do the ball, clips, and paper have now?

2. Calculate: The amount of work (W) done on an object is equal to the force (F) needed to lift the object (the
object’s weight) multiplied by the distance (d) the object is lifted: W = F × d.

Use the weight of the ball that you calculated in activity B to determine how much work would be required
to lift the ball 2 meters above the zero position:

3. Analyze: Move the ball to the 2-m shelf.

A. How much potential energy does the ball have now?

B. How does the ball’s potential energy relate to the amount of work needed to place the ball on the
2-m shelf?

C. How much work would be needed to lift the ball from the 2-m shelf to the 5-m shelf, and how much
potential energy would it have on the 5-m shelf?

4. Predict: What do you think would happen to the ball’s potential energy if it is knocked off the shelf and falls
to the floor?

5. Think and discuss: Objects in motion have kinetic energy. As objects fall, their potential energy is
converted into kinetic energy. How much kinetic energy do you think the ball would have just before it hit
the floor if it were dropped from a 2-m shelf? Explain your answer.

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