Kinetic and gravitational potential energyIB MYP Sciences: Flashcards

Exam questions on Kinetic and gravitational potential energy

1. A roller coaster car at a theme park in Orlando is pulled slowly to the top of the first hill by a chain. It is then released and runs down the track.
   Describe the energy changes as the car runs down the hill, and explain why in practice it cannot climb a second hill as high as the first.2 marks
2. A pendulum clock in a museum in Prague has a brass bob of mass 0.50 kg that swings back and forth. Use a gravitational field strength of 10 N/kg.
   The bob is released from a height of 0.40 m above its lowest point. Use conservation of energy to calculate its speed at the lowest point, ignoring air resistance.2 marks
3. Students in Mexico City investigate how the release height of a 0.20 kg toy car on a ramp affects its speed at the bottom. A light gate measures the speed. The mean speeds were 1.3 m/s from a height of 0.10 m, 1.8 m/s from 0.20 m, 2.2 m/s from 0.30 m and 2.5 m/s from 0.40 m.
   Outline two ways the students should make their data reliable and one safety precaution they should take.3 marks