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What's Up (and Down) with KE and PE? - Questions

The What's Up (and Down) with KE and PE? Concept Builder is comprised of 36 questions. The questions are divided into 12 different question groups. Questions in the same group are rather similar to one another. The Concept Builder is coded to select at random a question from each group until a student is successful with that group of questions.

There are three different difficulty levels in the Concept Builder. Those three difficulty levles are differentiated as follows:
 
  • Apprentice: Question Groups 1-4 Four Question Groups involving possible changes in kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy; the physical situations may be simpler than subsequent levels.
  • Master: QuestionGroups 1-8 Eight Question Groups involving possible changes in kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy; the physical situations include the first four plus four additional situtions that may be slightly more complicated than the first four situations.
  • Wizard: QuestionGroups 1-12 Eight Question Groups involving possible changes in kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy; the physical situations include the first eight plus four additional situtions that may be slightly more complicated than the first four situations.

The questions from each group are shown below. Teachers are encouraged to view the questions in order to judge which activities are most appropriate for their classes. We recommend providing students two or more options. 

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What's Up (and Down) With KE and PE?
 
 
Question Group 1
Question 1
Read the description of the motion of the bold-faced object and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increases, decreases, or remains constant.
 
A ball is falling from the second floor balcony to the floor below.
 
 
 
Question 2
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
An acorn drops out of a tree and falls to the ground below.
 
 
 
Question 3
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
A box of shingles is dropped from the roof and falls to the ground below.
 
 
 
 
 
Question Group 2
Question 4
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
A car skids to a stop along a level roadway.
 
 
 
Question 5
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
A baseball player slides to a stop after diving head-first into third base.
 
 
 
Question 6
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
A shuffleboard disk slides to a stop while moving across the level shuffleboard court.
 
 
 
 
 
Question Group 3
Question 7
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
As soon as the starting gun sounded out, a sprinter rapidly accelerated from rest to her top speed.
 
 
 
Question 8
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
As soon as the light turned green, the driver stepped on the gas and the car accelerated down the level highway.
 
 
 
Question 9
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
Once cleared for takeoff, the jet began to accelerate from rest to high speed along the level runway.
 
 
 
 
 
Question Group 4
Question 10
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
The elevator moved from the ground floor to the 10th floor at a constant speed.
 
 
 
Question 11
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
The mechanic hoisted the car upward at a constant speed.
 
 
 
Question 12
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
The bucket of water was pulled upward out of the well at a constant speed.
 
 
 
 
 
Question Group 5
Question 13
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
The bowling ball rolled along the gym floor at a constant speed.
 
 
 
Question 14
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
The car moved along the level street at a constant speed.
 
 
 
Question 15
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
The cross-country skiier moved along the level path at a constant speed.
 
 
 
 
 
Question Group 6
Question 16
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
The skydiver fell the final 1000 feet at a constant speed.
 
 
 
Question 17
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
The hot air balloon slowly descended at a constant speed until it finally landed on the ground.
 
 
 
Question 18
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
The elevator moved from the 15th floor to the 10th floor at a constant speed.
 
 
 
 
 
Question Group 7
Question 19
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
Upon leaving the bat, the baseball traveled upward towards its highest location.
 
 
 
Question 20
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
Upon leaving her club, the golf ball moved upward to a height above the surrounding trees.
 
 
 
Question 21
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
In the three seconds after leaving the bat, the softball moved upward towards its highest location.
 
 
 
 
 
Question Group 8
Question 22
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
The passengers screamed as the pendulum ride fell from its highest location to its lowest location.
 
 
 
Question 23
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
Anna Litical released the pendulum bob from rest at a height of 50 cm above the table and watched it move to the lowest position on its arc.
 
 
 
Question 24
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
After Dad released the swing from its highest position, he watched his child swing to the lowest position along the arc.
 
 
 
 
 
Question Group 9
Question 25
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
The driver stepped on the gas and the car gained speed as it moved up the hill.
 
 
 
Question 26
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
It took a lot of effort, but Celia gained speed as she ran up the last hill of the cross-country race.
 
 
 
Question 27
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
Using everything he had, Jeremy climbed the wall with an increasing speed.
 
 
 
 
 
Question Group 10
Question 28
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
The passengers screamed as the roller coaster train rolled down the first drop from a nearly stationary position at the top.
 
 
 
Question 29
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
The skier jumped out of the starting blocks and skiied down the hill towards the ski jump.
 
 
 
Question 30
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
Little Nellie bravely slid down the sledding hill from a resting position at the top.
 
 
 
 
 
Question Group 11
Question 31
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
When the driver reached the crest of the hill, she saw the stop light turn red and slammed on the brakes. The car slowed down as it moved to the bottom of the hill.
 
 
 
Question 32
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
During the last 40 meters down the hill, the skier turned her skis sideways in order to slow down as she approached the bottom of the hill.
 
 
 
Question 33
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
The golf ball gradually slowed down as it moved down the inclined putting green towards the hole.
 
 
 
 
 
Question Group 12
Question 34
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
The high-speed truck veered off the road onto the run-away ramp and safely slowed down as it moved up the ramp.
 
 
 
Question 35
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
When the batter hit the foul ball, the baseball moved upward to a delighted fan in the top deck.
 
 
 
Question 36
Read the description of the motion and decide if the kinetic energy (KE) and the gravitational potential energy (PE) is increasing, decreasing, or remaining constant.
 
After takeoff, the toy rocket climbed to a height of 25 meters above the ground.