1. D54 Drive A Nail

2. D54 List Some Energy Types
Potential (stored), Kinetic (motion)
Mechanical (Potential plus Kinetic)
Gravitational, Elastic
Chemical, Nuclear, Food/Calorie
Solar, Light, Radiant, Electromagnetic
Thermal, Sound

3. D54 Drive A Nail Background 1
Energy does work & appears in many ways.
Potential Energy: stored energy that has not yet been used, like the energy in gasoline.
Gravitational Potential Energy: potential energy from object’s position above Earth.
Kinetic Energy: motion energy, like a car.
CHALLENGE QUESTION: How do mass & height affect Gravitational Potential Energy?

4. D54 Energy Transfer Potential energy = high Kinetic energy = low
Potential energy = low
Kinetic energy = high

5. D54 How Much Energy Transfer
At rest: Potential=100 J
At rest: Kinetic=
Halfway: Potential=
Halfway: Kinetic=
At floor: Potential= 0 J
At floor: Kinetic=

6. D54 Drive A Nail Procedure 1
For your table get:
2 plastic tubes (one long and one short)
2 steel rods (one long and one short)
2 aluminum rods (one long and one short)
2 nails
2 foam blocks
2 metric rulers
Record ALL data into a data table.

7. D54 Drive A Nail Procedure 2
1. Get a short aluminum rod and a short tube.
2. Lightly push a nail into the foam block so that it stands up. Measure its Height 1 in cm
3. Slide the tube over the nail.
4. Drop the rod onto it once, remove the rod, and measure nail Height 2 in cm.
5. Subtract to find nail Depth in cm .
6. Repeat Steps 2-5 with a long tube.

8. Name_____________Date__ Hr_ D54 Drive A Nail Data Table, cm
Rod
Tube
Height 1
Height 2
Depth
Short Al
Short + /2 =
Long
Long Al
Short Stl
Long Stl

9. D54 Drive A Nail Procedure 3
7. Repeat 2-5 (long aluminum rod, short tube).
8. Repeat 2-5 (long aluminum rod, long tube).
9. Repeat 2-5 (short steel rod, short tube).
10. Repeat 2-5 (short steel rod, long tube).
11. Repeat 2-5 (long steel rod, short tube).
12. Repeat 2-5 (long steel rod, long tube).

10. D54 Drive Nail Analysis: Date__ Name_______________ Hour__
Answer and Explain in complete paragraphs:
A. Which combination of tube height and rod mass gave the most energy to the nail? B. Which gave the least energy to the nail?
A. Explain where the rod was located for the most Gravitational Potential Energy B. Rod location for most Kinetic Energy?
Did all the rod energy transfer to the nail?

11. D54 Drive Nail Analysis: Date__ Name_______________ Hour__
Answer and Explain in complete paragraphs:
A. Which combination of tube height and rod mass gave the most energy to the nail? B. Which gave the least energy to the nail?
A. Explain where the rod was located for the most Gravitational Potential Energy B. Rod location for most Kinetic Energy?
Did all the rod energy transfer to the nail?