This lesson builds upon the previous one (Newton's Second Law) by introducing students to kinetic and potential energy. Topics include a brief description of these two forms of energy, a discussion of gravity as a form of potential energy, and a discussion of the First Law of Thermodynamics in the context of energy transfer. The lesson includes an activity in which students test the First Law of Thermodynamics by measuring the energy of a system consisting of a cart being pulled by a suspended mass.

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Activity requires the use of laboratory apparatus, as described in the instructions

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This resource references 'Newton's Second Law'

Publisher: Kennesaw State University
Environmental Science Activities for the 21st Century (ESA21)
http://esa21.kennesaw.edu/

Author: John Pratte
Arkansas State University