The model computes released energy as mgΔh. Without losses, that becomes ½mv². With the selected loss fraction, only the remaining share becomes kinetic energy. The thermal bar is accumulated energy transferred, not a temperature reading. The original drawn slope is a display path rather than a surveyed track.
Forces, motion and energy · Discover & try
Where does stored height energy go?
Reading level 3 of 5 · IndependentChange
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Potential energy
Energy associated with configuration, such as height in a gravitational field.
Kinetic energy
Energy associated with motion.
Thermal transfer
Energy transferred into internal motion rather than the cart’s bulk motion.
Watch · Try · Explain
See how it works
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Calculated energy accounting near Earth; selected loss fraction and schematic track are not a real ride design.
What to look for
- Add height, motion and thermal bars.
- Compare speed with different masses at one drop.
- Distinguish thermal energy from temperature.
Explain what you noticed
A different cart releases 100 J of gravitational energy. If 25 J becomes thermal energy, how much becomes kinetic energy in this model?
Keep this idea: A decrease in gravitational potential energy can become kinetic energy and other energy forms.
Follow the sources
- OpenStax, Rice University — Gravitational Potential Energy
- OpenStax, Rice University — Mechanical Energy and Conservation of Energy
Source material checked 2026-10-28. Explanations and activities by Nepedia. Source links do not imply endorsement.
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