Gravitational Potential Energy and Kinetic Energy

Purpose: The purpose of this is to learn how to calculate gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy, and to see how gravitational potential energy and kinetic energy affect the car during the lab.





Define: Gravitational Potential Energy- Energy an object possesses because of its position in a gravitational field





Kinetic Energy- The energy possessed by a body because of its motion, equal to one half the mass of the body times the square of its speed.








Procedure: Make a ramp about 0.20 meters to 0.25 meters high, then measure the mass of the car. Measure how long the board is from bottom to top, place a catch box at the bottom to stop the car after it rolls down the ramp, record the height of the ramp in meters, realease the car without pushing it from the top of the ramp. Measure how fast the car was going, repeat two more times. Determine the average speed. Add two or three books to make the ramp about 0.30 to 0.35 meters high, then repeat the same steps to find the average speed again.





Data Table:





Measurement/Calculations                       Height one                           Height two


Mass of car (kg)


Lenght of ramp (m)


Height of ramp (m)


Time car traveled (s)


Time car traveled (s)


Time car traveled (s)


Average time traveled (s)


Average speed (m/s)


Final speed (m/s)


Kinetic Energy (J)


Potential Energy (J)