Potential energy and tension energy with Cobra SMARTsense

Principle
Energy conversion is an everyday phenomenon. In hydroelectric power plants, for example, potential energy is converted into kinetic energy. Electrical energy is then generated from kinetic energy. In this experiment the energy conversion is reproduced with the help of a helical spring. In the process, tension energy is converted into kinetic energy and potential energy and vice versa.
Benefits

• Especially understandable and didactically prepared description of the experiment (relevance to everyday life, etc.) including protocol questions.
• Future-oriented teaching: Integration into digital science lessons with tablets or smartphones.
• Increased motivation of students by using the intuitive measureAPP.
• Increased media competence.

Tasks

• observe what force is required to lift a mass and what force is required to tension a coil spring.
• Hang a mass on a coil spring and let it "fall" on the spring. Observe the process and describe it using the term energy.
• Determine the energy contained in a tensioned spring using the law of energy.

Learning objectives
In this experiment the students should learn that energy can be converted into different forms of energy. This is examined exemplarily with the case of tension energy, kinetic energy and potential energy of a coil spring.