PE & KE Conversions

Remember

Potential Energy• Has the POTENTIAL to move

but isn’t moving yet. • It’s building up energy to

move but there is no motion going on yet

Kinetic Energy• When it IS MOVING

Energy starts as PE (potential energy) because it has the ability to move but isn’t moving yet. It has gravitational energy because once the ball is dropped it falls due to gravity.

Energy is converted to KE (kinetic energy) as the ball moves faster and faster as it falls.

Example #2: Pulley Example #3: Pendulum

PE PE

½ PE ½ KE ½ KE ½ PEKE

Roller Coaster

• http://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/structural/roller-coaster3.htm