Energy Ranking Tasks - Questions
The Energy Ranking Tasks Concept Builder is comprised of 24 questions. The questions are divided into 12 different question groups. Questions in the same group are rather similar to one another. The Concept Builder is coded to select at random a question from each group until a student is successful with that group of questions.
There are three different activities in the Concept Builder. Those three activities are differentiated as follows:
- Rank That PE: Question Groups 1-4 Four Question Groups, each using a different physical situation, are presented. Learners must rank the gravitational potential energy (PE) for three different locations.
- Rank That KE: QuestionGroups 5-8 Four Question Groups, each using a different physical situation, are presented. Learners must rank the kinetic energy (KE) for three different locations.
- Rank That Speed: QuestionGroups 9-12 Four Question Groups, each using a unidque physical situation but one different from the first two activities. Learners must rank the speed (v) at three different locations.
The questions from each group are shown below. Teachers are encouraged to view the questions in order to judge which activities are most appropriate for their classes. We recommend providing students two or more options.
The Physics Classroom grants teachers and other users the right to print these questions for private use. Users are also granted the right to copy the text and modify it for their own use. However, this document should not be uploaded to other servers for distribution to and/or display by others. The Physics Classroom website should remain the only website or server from which the document is distributed or displayed. We also provide a PDF that teachers can use under the same conditions. We have included a link to the PDF near the bottom of this page.
Energy Rankings
Activity 1: Rank That PE
Question Group 1
Question 1
An abnormally elastic ball bounces across the floor along the path that is shown. Rank the gravitational potential energy (PE) of the ball at the three marked locations.
Question 2
An abnormally elastic ball bounces across the floor along the path that is shown. Rank the gravitational potential energy (PE) of the ball at the three marked locations.
Question Group 2
Question 3
A disk slides along the low-friction surface along the path that is shown. Rank the gravitational potential energy (PE) of the disk at the three marked locations.
Question 4
A disk slides along the low-friction surface along the path that is shown. Rank the gravitational potential energy (PE) of the disk at the three marked locations.
Question Group 3
Question 5
A pendulum bob swings along its characteristic arc as shown. Rank the gravitational potential energy (PE) of the pendulum bob at the three marked locations.
Question 6
A pendulum bob swings along its characteristic arc as shown. Rank the gravitational potential energy (PE) of the pendulum bob at the three marked locations.
Question Group 4
Question 7
A toy car rolls across the low-friction track along the path that is shown. Rank the gravitational potential energy (PE) of the disk at the three marked locations.
Question 8
A toy car rolls across the low-friction track along the path that is shown. Rank the gravitational potential energy (PE) of the disk at the three marked locations.
Activity 2: Rank That KE
Question Group 5
Question 9
An abnormally elastic ball bounces across the floor along the path that is shown. Rank the kinetic energy (KE) of the ball at the three marked locations.
Question 10
An abnormally elastic ball bounces across the floor along the path that is shown. Rank the kinetic energy (KE) of the ball at the three marked locations.
Question Group 6
Question 11
A disk slides along the low-friction surface along the path that is shown. Rank the kinetic energy (KE) of the disk at the three marked locations.
Question 12
A disk slides along the low-friction surface along the path that is shown. Rank the kinetic energy (KE) of the disk at the three marked locations.
Question Group 7
Question 13
A pendulum bob swings along its characteristic arc as shown. Rank the kinetic energy (KE) of the pendulum bob at the three marked locations.
Question 14
A pendulum bob swings along its characteristic arc as shown. Rank the kinetic energy (KE) of the pendulum bob at the three marked locations.
Question Group 8
Question 15
A toy car rolls across the low-friction track along the path that is shown. Rank the kinetic energy (KE) of the disk at the three marked locations.
Question 16
A toy car rolls across the low-friction track along the path that is shown. Rank the kinetic energy (KE) of the disk at the three marked locations.
Activity 3: Rank That Speed
Question Group 9
Question 17
A marble rolls along a track along the path that is shown. Rank the speed (v) of the marble for the three marked locations.
Question 18
A marble rolls along a track along the path that is shown. Rank the speed (v) of the marble for the three marked locations.
Question Group 10
Question 19
A toy car rolls along a track along a track as shown. Rank the speed (v) of the toy car for the three marked locations.
Question 20
A toy car rolls along a track along a track as shown. Rank the speed (v) of the toy car for the three marked locations.
Question Group 11
Question 21
A ball placed on the end of a string swings along the circular arc until it falls off the string and moves through the air as shown. Rank the speed (v) of the ball for the three marked locations.
Question 22
A ball placed on the end of a string swings along the circular arc until it falls off the string and moves through the air as shown. Rank the speed (v) of the ball for the three marked locations.
Question Group 12
Question 23
A child enjoing a tube ride at a water park is moving along the path as shown. Rank the speed (v) of the child for the three marked locations.
Question 24
A child enjoing a tube ride at a water park is moving along the path as shown. Rank the speed (v) of the child for the three marked locations.