Roller Coaster Energy
Written by Adi Ackerman, Head Teacher
"Roller Coaster Energy" is written for 6th Grade (Ages 11-12), and it covers NGSS MS-PS3-5. If your student is a year younger but already steady on energy, the page still works. You may just need to read the instructions out loud. And if they are older and kinetic and potential energy never quite stuck, this is a short review rather than busywork.
2 pages in this set
6th grade science worksheet: find the points of greatest potential and kinetic energy on a track, then explain friction on hills. Answer key included. Part of our kinetic and potential energy collection. Aligned to NGSS standards.
How do I use this worksheet?
Sort the examples first so students have both terms. On the graph sheet, have students plot both tables before reading page 2, then compare the straight line with the curve.
What students will practice
- Students will identify where potential and kinetic energy are greatest on a coaster track.
- Students will describe how potential energy changes into kinetic energy as the car rolls downhill.
- Students will explain why each hill is lower and why the energy is not destroyed.
Curriculum Links
Next Generation Science Standards
Science · 6th Grade
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FAQ
How do I use this kinetic and potential energy worksheet?
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Sort the examples first so students have both terms. On the graph sheet, have students plot both tables before reading page 2, then compare the straight line with the curve.
What does this worksheet teach?
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Find the points of greatest potential and kinetic energy on a track, then explain friction on hills. The directions on the page read: Read the text and study the track. Write the letter of the correct point for 1 to 3. An answer key is included.
Can I use this kinetic and potential energy worksheet for homeschool or classroom?
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Yes, both. We made it for 6th Grade energy, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with kinetic and potential energy. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.
Where does a roller coaster have the most potential energy?
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It has the most at the top of the first hill, the highest point on the track, because potential energy depends on height. The car moves fastest at the lowest point, where kinetic energy is greatest.
Does mass or speed raise kinetic energy more?
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On Kinetic Energy, Mass and Speed, doubling the mass doubles the kinetic energy, but doubling the speed makes it 4 times as big. Students see this by graphing the two tables.
Is energy destroyed by friction?
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No. Friction and air resistance change some of the energy into heat and sound, and the total amount of energy stays the same.
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