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Energy Skate Park

Energy Skate Park Screenshot Download 2,854 kB
Version: 2.13 (change log)
Learn about conservation of energy with a skater dude! Build tracks, ramps and jumps for the skater and view the kinetic energy, potential energy and friction as he moves. You can also take the skater to different planets or even space!

See Below

Teaching Resources

Main Topics

  • Energy
  • Conservation of Energy
  • Kinetic Energy
  • Potential Energy
  • Friction

Sample Learning Goals

  • Explain the Conservation of Mechanical Energy concept using kinetic and gravitational potential energy.

Tips for Teachers

The teacher's guide (pdf) contains tips created by the PhET team.

Teaching Ideas

Title Authors Level Type Updated
Kinetic and Potential energy This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Cameron Ross HS
MS		 Lab 7/6/13
mechanical energy - exploring kinetic and potential energy This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Jackie Esler MS Lab 4/13/12
Finding Properties of Energy (via the skate park) This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. jim cibulka MS
HS		 Lab
CQs		 3/2/12
Mechanical energy - Kinetic and Potential This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Jackie Esler MS Lab 7/30/11
Potential and Kinetic Energy This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. J Smith MS Lab 3/31/11
Energy, Forces, and Motion basics This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Kristi Goodwin HS
MS		 Lab 2/21/10
Conservation of Energy for Middle School This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Jefferson County Middle School Workshop MS Lab 4/24/09
Energy Skate Park - Four activities (Inquiry Based) This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
HS		 Lab 7/20/13
Concept questions for Physics using PhET (Inquiry Based) This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Trish Loeblein HS
UG-Intro		 CQs 7/7/13
Energy Skate Park Clicker Questions (Inquiry Based) This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Trish Loeblein HS
UG-Intro		 CQs 7/7/13
Conservation of Energy 4 Energy Skate Park: Calculations with Conservation of Mechanical Energy using time graphs (Inquiry Based) This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
HS		 CQs
Lab		 7/7/13
Roller Coaster Physics Investigation This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Scott McCurdy HS
MS		 HW
Lab
CQs		 11/14/08
Algebra-based Physics Semester one lessons, clicker questions, and schedule in pdf (Inquiry Based) This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
HS		 HW
Lab
Demo
CQs		 7/20/13
Energy Skate Park for Middle School(Inquiry Based) This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Sarah Borenstein MS Lab 11/22/08
Conservation of Energy 3 Energy Skate Park: Calculations with Mechanical energy (no time graphs) (Inquiry Based) This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Trish Loeblein HS
UG-Intro		 Lab
CQs		 7/7/13
Conservation of Energy 2 Energy Skate Park relating graphs position and speed (Inquiry Based) This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
HS		 Lab
CQs		 7/7/13
Energy Skater -- Introduction to Mechanical Energy Conservation This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Karen King HS
MS		 Lab 1/5/09
Conservation of Energy 1 Energy Skate Park introduction (Inquiry Based) This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
HS		 Lab
CQs		 7/9/13
Thermodynamics of Skating Joel Barthel HS Lab 2/10/12
Intro to Energy Conservation Bob Schaefer HS Demo 12/7/11
Conservation of Energy Sarah Stanhope HS Lab 1/27/11
Energy Simulation Pauline Seales HS Lab 8/7/10
NRG Sk8r Kim Berg HS Lab 3/7/10
Unusual cases of oscillation Debra Krause Dandaneau UG-Intro
HS		 Other 6/10/09
PhET Energy Sk8r sim Activity Drew Isola HS Lab
CQs		 12/5/11
Energy-Skate Park PhET Lab Chris Bires HS Lab 8/4/10
Energy Skate Park Learning Goals for four activities (Inquiry Based) This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
HS		 Other 7/7/13
Rollercoaster, Free Fall & Energy Conservation Paulo Pinto HS Lab 4/12/08
Build a Park stephanie wisely HS Lab 3/3/08
Energy Skatepark Adventures Ella Bowling MS HW
Lab		 11/22/08
Inquiry to the Energy Skate Park beki toussaint HS Lab 9/17/07
Energy Skate Park Gretchen Swanson HS Lab 9/18/07
Graphing Energy at the Skate Park Jessica Mullins HS Lab 9/18/07
Energy Skate Park Lesson Chris Nichols HS Lab 9/18/07
Skate Park and Energy Conservation Don Cameron HS Lab 10/15/06
Conservation of Energy (Energy Skate Park) Amy Jordan HS Lab 8/17/07
W, Ek en Ez, Energie vergelijkingen laten leven. Loran de Vries HS Lab 9/20/13
Conservación de la energía mecánica Félix A. Gutiérrez Múzquiz HS HW 3/3/11

You can submit your own ideas and activities.

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Translated Versions:

Language Language (Translated) Simulation Title
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Arabic, Saudi Arabia العربية (السعودية) منتزه الطاقة للتزحلق Run Now
Basque Basque Energia Skate Parkean Run Now
Bosnian Bosnian Energija u skejt-parku Run Now
Brazilian Portuguese português (Brasil) Parque Energético para Skatistas Run Now
Chinese - Simplified 中文 (中国) 能量滑板竞技场 Run Now
Chinese - Traditional 中文 (台灣) 能量滑板競技場 Run Now
Croatian hrvatski Zakon sačuvanja energije Run Now
Czech čeština Energetický Skate Park Run Now
Danish Dansk Energiskaterpark Run Now
Dutch Nederlands EnergieSkatepark Run Now
Estonian Eesti Energia rula park Run Now
French français Skate parc de l'énergie Run Now
Galician Gallegan Enerxía Parque Patinaxe Run Now
German Deutsch Energieskatepark Run Now
Greek Ελληνικά Ενεργειακό Πάρκο Skate Run Now
Haitian Haitian Enèji paten an sou pis Run Now
Hebrew עברית פארק שעשועים: אנרגיה Run Now
Hungarian magyar Energia Gördeszkapark Run Now
Indonesian Bahasa Indonesia Energi Skate Run Now
Irish Gaeilge Fuinneamh Pairc scatail Run Now
Italian italiano Energia con lo Skateboard Run Now
Japanese 日本語 スケートパーク（Energy Skate Park） Run Now
Kannada Kannada ಶಕ್ತಿ-ಸ್ಕೇಟ್ ಉದ್ಯಾನವನ Run Now
Kazakh Kazakh Energy Skate Park Run Now
Khmer Khmer Energy Skate Park Run Now
Korean 한국어 에너지 스케이트 공원 Run Now
Lithuanian Lietuvių Energijos riedlenčių parkas Run Now
Macedonian македонски Енергија во скејт-паркот Run Now
Marathi Marathi एनर्जी स्केट पार्क Run Now
Mongolian Mongolian Energy Skate Park Run Now
Norwegian Bokmal Norwegian Bokmål Energiskatepark Run Now
Persian Persian انرژی پارک اسکیت Run Now
Polish polski Energia w Skate Parku Run Now
Portuguese português Energia do Parque de Skate Run Now
Russian русский Энергетический каток Run Now
Serbian Српски Енергија у скејт-парку Run Now
Slovak Slovenčina Energia a skejt park Run Now
Slovenian Slovenščina Park energije drsanja Run Now
Spanish español Pista de patinar "Energía" Run Now
Spanish (Colombia) español (Colombia) Parque de la Energía Run Now
Spanish (Peru) español (Perú) Energía en el Parque del Patinador Run Now
Swedish svenska Skatepark för energi Run Now
Turkish Türkçe Enerji kaykayı parkı Run Now
Turkmen Turkmen Energiýa skeýt meýdançasy Run Now
Ukrainian українська Парк для скейтів Run Now
Vietnamese Tiếng Việt Công viên trượt ván. Run Now

Software Requirements

Windows Macintosh Linux
Microsoft Windows
XP/Vista/7
Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later 		OS 10.5 or later
Sun Java 1.5.0_19 or later 		Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later

Credits

Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Wendy Adams
  • Michael Dubson
  • Trish Loeblein
  • Kathy Perkins
  • Sam Reid (developer/lead)
  • Carl Wieman
  • Interviewer: Danielle Harlow
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