How to Do an Energy Bar Chart & Flow Diagram

The initial energy is usually represented by the horizontal line on bar charts.

According to physicsclassroom.com, an energy bar chart "represents the amount of energy possessed by an object by means of a vertical bar". On a typical chart, long bars represent a lot of energy and short bars implicate small amounts of energy. When creating an energy bar chart and flow diagram, it is essential to know the initial energy and external work of the object.

Things You'll Need

• Basketball or similar object
• Pencil
• Paper

Instructions

Constructing an energy bar chart and flow diagram

1. Put the object in motion.

2. Take note of the initial state of the object in conjunction with its final state.

3. Put the object in motion again.

4. Take note of any outside forces influencing the object's movement like air, friction or gravity. These are various forms of energy.

5. Take note whether the effects are positive or negative. Anything that does not elevate the object up and to the right is negative force.

6. Construct the chart or diagram so that positive forms of energy are above negative forms. On a bar chart, positive energy bars will be higher than negative energy bars.

References

• The Physics Classroom: The Work-Energy Relationship
• The Physics Classroom: Quick Quiz Answer