PencilGo

Grade 11 · Science · Physics

11th grade Conservation of energy on ramps, swings and coasters worksheet

6 printable versionsOn Level10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

Level: Building Confidence · On Level · Challenge Me

When it’s done, scan the sheet with your phone and PencilGo marks it and picks the next one. Create a free account

Version
Print

Conservation of energy on ramps, swings and coasters

Grade 11 Science Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

  1. A toy coaster cart starts at rest and rolls down a frictionless track, dropping 1.8 m. With g = 9.8 m/s², how fast is it at the bottom, to the nearest tenth, Bo?

  2. A toy coaster cart starts at rest and rolls down a frictionless track, dropping 2.5 m. With g = 9.8 m/s², how fast is it at the bottom, to the nearest tenth, Esme?

  3. A 1 kg cart and a 3 kg cart roll from rest down the same frictionless ramp. Which is faster at the bottom, Jun?

    • The 1 kg cart, since it is lighter
    • The 3 kg cart, since it is heavier
    • They have the same speed

  4. Why does mass not change a cart's speed at the bottom of a frictionless ramp, Kira?

    • Both mgh and ½mv² contain m
    • It does: heavier carts reach the bottom faster
    • Gravity pulls heavier carts less

  5. A 3 kg cart and a 1 kg cart roll from rest down the same frictionless ramp. How do their kinetic energies at the bottom compare, Luz?

    • The 3 kg cart has 3 times as much
    • The 1 kg cart has more, since it is lighter
    • They are equal, since the speeds match

  7. In the energy bar chart, what is the bob's kinetic energy at its lowest point, Milo?

    • 0 J
    • 9.8 J
    • 4.9 J

  8. In the energy bar chart, what is the bob's kinetic energy halfway down, Noah?

    Use the picture in question 6.

    • 0 J, since it is still high
    • 2.45 J
    • 4.9 J

  9. In the energy bar chart, how high does the bob rise on the other side, Pia?

    Use the picture in question 6.

    • 1 m
    • 0.5 m, its starting height
    • 0.25 m

  10. A cart moving at 7 m/s rolls up a frictionless ramp. With g = 9.8 m/s², how high does it rise before stopping, Ren?

    • 2.5 m
    • 5 m
    • 0.36 m, speed divided by 2g

  11. A cart moving at 4.2 m/s rolls up a short frictionless ramp. With g = 9.8 m/s², how high does it rise before stopping, Zee?

    • 0.9 m
    • 0.21 m, speed divided by 2g
    • 1.8 m
PencilGopencilgo.com

11th grade Conservation of energy on ramps, swings and coasters worksheet – printable
Print: 123456

About this worksheet

Conservation of energy on ramps, swings and coasters. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can use "kinetic + gravitational energy stays the same" with no friction to find kinetic energy at any point on a track.
  • I can find the speed at the bottom, v = √(2gh), and the speed partway down from the height dropped. I can also find the height reached from a speed, h = v² ÷ 2g.
  • I can explain why mass cancels, why a pendulum bob returns to its starting height, and why a cart can't climb above its start.
  • I can spot friction in data: a falling total means mechanical energy became thermal energy.

Standard: HS-PS3-1

Words to know

mechanical energy: Kinetic plus gravitational (and spring) energy

conserved: The total stays the same

frictionless: No friction, so no energy turns into thermal energy

pendulum bob: The weight at the end of a pendulum's string

height dropped: Starting height minus the height now

Common mistakes

Your child added the energies. The total stays the same, so kinetic energy = total − gravitational energy left.

Your child left out the 2. From mgh = ½mv², the speed is the square root of 2gh.

Your child used the full starting height. Only the drop from the start to that point turns into kinetic energy.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with conservation of energy on ramps, swings and coasters?

Your child added the energies. The total stays the same, so kinetic energy = total − gravitational energy left.

Are these 11th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More physics

See all Physics

Every sheet you scan goes into your child’s record: dated, marked and ready for the year-end portfolio. Homeschool records

Ready for easier practice?

Print a sheet, scan it when it’s done, and PencilGo picks the next one.

Create a free account