There comes a time in your life when you start wondering about the workings of things around you. Especially if you are a skater, you must have once thought of the science behind skateboarding. I realized it when my kid asked me does a moving skateboard have energy after his first ride. I wanted to give him a proper answer such that he has no query left in his mind anymore.
I am delighted by your interest in the working of your skateboard. It shows that you are sincere about your skateboard. I studied the working of a skateboard and came up with the answer that the moving skateboard does contain energy. In reality, energy keeps the skateboard going. Here is what I found about the presence of energy in a moving skateboard.
Does A Moving Skateboard Have Energy?
Yes, a moving skateboard does have energy just like any other moving object and it is called Kinetic energy. Do you wonder where it comes from? What drives a skateboard? Don’t worry we have got your question. If you are thinking about skateboards that way, you are dealing fair with it.
Maybe that energy is coming from those wheels, your pushing feet, or the height of that ramp. Energy is an important aspect that keeps us going. Kinetic energy allows the movement of an object. Let us get to the working strategy of this energy transfer in a skateboard.
Conversion of Energies
The skateboard’s energy works on the principle of energy equilibrium that we all have studied in probably 5th grade. It is that the energy transforms from one form to another and it is never created not destroyed. Everything in the world that can do work contains energy. The skateboard works on a similar principle. There is a constant energy conversion phenomenon happening during skateboarding. Skateboarding involves the game of two types of energies. The kinetic energy and potential energy.
Energy by Pushing
We eat and we grow up. There is energy stored in our muscles that helps us to do routine chores. Energy packets in our body are called ATPs. When you push your skateboard with your feet, those ATPs break down to expel a significant amount of potential energy. The feet push the ground backward, and the ground in reaction pushes the board forward. That’s when the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy of the moving skateboard.
Isn’t it amazing that all this is happening somewhere but you can’t see it? However, you should be happy that you know the science behind skateboarding. How amazing it is that you are playing with the energies while skating.
Energy through Ramps
Ramps are higher in position. So do the grind boxes. You reach a higher place with those ATPs. The stored energy in your body is converted to kinetic to take you to the upper edge of the ramp. When you reach that height, that kinetic energy is then converted again into potential energy. Potential energy is the energy that is stored in an object due to its height.
As soon as you kick yourself to slide through that ramp, you change that potential energy back into kinetic energy.
Did you enjoy the magic? Well, I did. Discovering such wonderful happening has always been exciting to me. The working of skating might seem simple. But there’s so much occurring hidden from your eyes.
So the answer to whether a moving skateboard has energy or not is “YES, it does have energy while moving”. As nothing can move without energy.
Electric Skateboard Energy
Up till now, we have discussed how energy transitions its state in a conventional skateboard. What about the electric skateboard? You don’t push it, you just stand on it and control it by pressing your feet. Where does it get its energy?
Remember when you were worried about the discharged battery of your e-board? That’s because it is the fuel of your electric skateboard. The batteries are charged by electricity, and some by other special techniques. That electrical energy is stored within that battery.
When you install it on your skateboard. The battery discharges the electrical energy and converts it to the kinetic energy of the moving skateboard.
So basically, everything is revolving around the conversion of energies.
The Science Behind Energy Conversion
You might have got the idea that the whole game is about the conversion of kinetic to potential energy. Let’s divide the conversion into the following three stages.
- At the Top
At the top, the skateboard has maximum potential energy and the kinetic energy is zero. The potential energy comes from your body movement. You utilized the energy you got from eating food and converted it to potential to reach the top.
- In the Middle
As you jump off the ramp, the potential energy starts decreasing and kinetic energy starts increasing. In the middle of the ramp, both energies of your skateboard are almost equal.
Not all the potential energy is converted into kinetic, but rather into some other forms of energy as well. For example, heat energy is lost due to friction between the wheels and the surface.
- On the Ground
When you reach the ground, the speed is maximum; all the potential energy of your skateboard has been converted to motion energy and some heat energy. That potential energy is also converted to the sound energy you hear from your skateboard.
That’s where the sound from your skateboard came from. Did you ever think of sound from this point of view? Well now, you know. And that’s the same sound that makes the dogs hate skateboards and they start barking and chasing the skaters.
That is all about the moving skateboard energy. My kid was really satisfied with the answer. I hope it resolves your ambiguities as well.
Final Words
Energies are present everywhere around us. Skateboards work on the same principle. It works on the law of conservation of energy. A moving skateboard has a lot of energy involved. It can be Kinetic, Potential, Heat, Sound, and Electrical.
It may not be surprising to you that a moving skateboard has energy. But how the system works is really fascinating. Does a moving skateboard have energy? It is no longer a mystery to you. I hope you loved the brilliant idea of energy conversions of nature. Stay with us to know more.
FAQs
What kind of energy moves a skateboard?
Kinetic energy keeps your skateboard moving. The potential energy from the height and pushing is converted to kinetic energy, which in turn moves the skateboard. There is a whole system of energy conversions going on.
What are the energies involved in skateboarding?
There are several energies involved in skateboarding. Two of the most concerning are Kinetic Energy and Potential Energy. Others are Sound Energy and Heat Energy. In your electric skateboard, Electrical Energy is also involved.
What is the science behind a skateboard?
The skateboard works by pushing it forward by feet. The ground is pushed back which in turn allows the skateboard to move forward. The gravity acting downward keeps it sticking to the ground. Conversion of energies allows the movement of the skateboard.