Physics · 11th Grade · 55 min
Kinetic and Potential Energy
Free to teach as-is. Adapt it for your group in about two minutes.
Objective
I can differentiate between kinetic and potential energy and apply these concepts to real-world examples.
Warm-up video
Bozeman Science · 6:07
We don't generate video — this one is by Bozeman Science on YouTube. The practice questions and exit ticket below were drafted by AI for this objective, and every question is editable in the teacher guide.
Key concepts
3 concepts
- 1
Potential energy is energy due to an object's position, while kinetic energy is energy due to an object's motion.
- 2
Potential energy is calculated using the formula mgh, where m is mass, g is gravitational acceleration, and h is height.
- 3
Kinetic energy is calculated using the formula ½mv², where m is mass and v is velocity.
Practice
12 questions
Define potential energy and kinetic energy in your own words. How are they different?
A book is resting on a table. Does it have potential energy? If so, what determines the amount of potential energy it has?
Exit ticket
Quick comprehension check
“A 2 kg textbook is sitting on a shelf that is 1.5 meters high. Calculate its potential energy. If the textbook falls off the shelf, what is its kinetic energy right before it hits the ground? (Assume all potential energy is converted to kinetic energy and use g = 9.81 m/s²)”
Sample answer included in Teacher Guide
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