In Investigation One, you will discover how the Law of Conservation of Energy relates to the transfer of potential energy to kinetic energy. During this Investigation, you will:

1. Transfer kinetic energy from your moving hand to a stationary woodblock and measure the distance it is displaced.
2. Create a pendulum to model the transfer of potential energy to kinetic energy and vise versa.
3. Use the pendulum ball to transfer kinetic energy to a stationary gram bear then measure the distance it was displaced by the swinging ball.
4. Vary the height of the pendulum ball as it is released and observed the relationship between height, potential energy, and the transfer to kinetic energy.
5. Calculate potential energy by using the following formula:

Potential Energy = mass × g × height

In the formula, g is a constant due to gravity. On Earth, g = 9.81 m/s²

In Investigation Two, you will explore the Law of Conservation of Energy as energy converts from one form to another. During this Investigation, you will:

1. Measure the light intensity of 40W, 60W, 75W, and 100W bulbs using a light meter.
2. Calculate the average light intensity for each bulb wattage to illustrate the relationship between electrical energy and its conversion to electromagnetic (light) energy.
3. Place each lit bulb in a Styrofoam cooler and recorded the change in temperature inside the cooler to illustrate the relationship between electromagnetic (light) energy and its conversion to thermal (heat) energy.

In Investigation Three, you will continue to explore forms of energy by analyzing the relationship between potential and kinetic chemical energy and the Law of Conservation of Energy. During this Investigation, you will:

1. Observe the results of chemical energy as baking soda and vinegar are combined.
2. Measure the changing circumference of a balloon as it inflates to illustrate the transfer of potential chemical energy to kinetic chemical energy.
3. Analyze the direct relationship between the circumference of the balloon and the amount of potential chemical energy and kinetic chemical energy.

This Performance Assessment is designed to allow you to solve a problem using the:

• concepts with which you have become familiar during the previous three Investigations, and
• procedures used during the previous three Investigations.