Gravitational, kinetic and elastic potential energy
Watch the whole lecture free
Make a free account to watch every lecture to the end: 1 worked example, 4 practice questions, 5 real past-paper questions with the answers explained, the mistakes that lose marks, the full-marks tip, a one-card summary and a quick quiz.
That was the teaching part. The rest of this lecture is free with an account: 1 worked example, 4 practice questions, 5 real past-paper questions with the answers explained, the mistakes that lose marks, the full-marks tip, a one-card summary and a quick quiz.
No password needed now: we email you a link to set one. Already have an account? Sign in, then come back to this page.
The teaching part (1 min) is free to watch. A free account opens the whole lecture: 1 worked example, 4 practice questions, 5 real past-paper questions with the answers explained, the mistakes that lose marks, the full-marks tip, a one-card summary and a quick quiz.
What this lecture covers
- A roller coaster
- Gravitational potential energy
Read the transcript of the teaching part
Last time
Before we start: last time, in Collisions, energy transfers and conservation, you learned these points. Here they are again on one card. Keep them in mind, because today builds on them.
A roller coaster
A roller coaster is pulled to the top of its first hill, then released. At the top it has stored gravitational energy. As it plunges, that becomes kinetic energy, and at the bottom the speed is at its greatest. Three simple equations explain it.
Gravitational potential energy
Gravitational potential energy is energy stored by an object because of its position in a gravitational field. Near the Earth, where g is uniform, the change is m g times the change in height. This is the work done lifting it at constant speed: weight times the vertical distance. Only the vertical height matters. A path up a ramp gives the same change.
How often it comes up
How often Cambridge has asked each part, counted by ExamYard from every past paper in its question bank: Elastic potential energy · Gravitational potential energy · Kinetic energy · Elastic potential energy.
The whole chapter: Deformation of Solids, Work, Energy and Power, Deformation of Solids.
Chapter 5.2: Energy
- Gravitational, kinetic and elastic potential energy 6 min
Also for A Level Physics 9702
Which topics come up most in A Level Physics 9702 past papers, counted from every paper since 2004: Paper 1 topic frequency, Paper 2 topic frequency.