Watch the Bozeman Science video " Planning and Carrying out Investigations"

• Think about a question that you have about something in and around your home.

• Focus on your ideas on you home energy use.

• How could you design an experiment that would answer that question?

Watch the video "What is the difference between kinetic and potential Energy? "

Then watch as astronauts explain the difference between these two types of energy on the International Space Station in this video Kinetic and Potential Energy on the Space Station.

Think about these questions. How would you answer them?

• How does space affect the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy?

• Can you think of a kinetic and potential energy experiment that you would like an astronaut to do in space?

Design an experiment that will determine which combination of plastic tubes (long, short) and metal rods (long, short) transfers the most and the least energy to a nail that is stuck into a foam block.

Follow the steps found in this Student Inquiry Worksheet

Have you ever gone on a roller coaster ride or seen a video of one? Close your eyes and think about what it feels like to go up the first steep hill and then plunge down on the other side. Energy is being transformed from potential to kinetic!

• Look at the video - Law of conservation of energy (roller coaster demo)

• After looking at the video, What does the Law of Conservation of Energy mean?

• Design and draw your own roller coaster ride. You can use this student worksheet to record your ideas. Use your imagination.

• Label the picture of your roller coaster design with the energy transformations that are happening during a roller coaster ride.

Learn more about kinetic and potential energy by exploring the PhET Simulation: Energy Park Basics

• Click on the “Intro” tab. Explore the simulation. List the variables that you can change in this simulation.

• For this simulation, describe or draw how you can change the amount of Potential Energy (Make sure that you have either the pie chart or bar graph checked)

• For this simulation, describe or draw how you can change the amount of Kinetic Energy.

• What claim can you make about the relationship between kinetic energy and potential energy?

• What is your evidence?

• This Student Worksheet can be used if you need more guidance.