Chapter 3: Forces and Energy
3.5 Energy
What is energy?
Energy is something that must be changed or transferred in order to do something.
There are many different ways in which energy is being stored or transferred around you all the time.
Energy store or energy
Energy Description
transfer
Kinetic Energy stored due to movement of an object Store
Energy stored in food, batteries, chemical fuels such as wood,
Chemical Store
oil, and coal
Heat energy stored in hot objects and transferred to colder
Thermal Store or transfer
objects
Energy stored when things are stretched or squeezed to change
Elastic Potential Store
their shape
Gravitational Energy stored when an object is lifted away from a source of
Store
Potential gravity
Electrical The flow of current in a circuit transfers electrical energy Transfer
Sound Energy transferred from vibrating objects Transfer
Visible energy from luminous objects (objects that give out
Light Transfer
their own light) that you can see
Questions
1. Look at the picture of the circuit.
Copy and complete these sentences. Choose from the stores and transfers of energy you have learnt about.
a. ___________________________ energy is stored in the battery.
b. ___________________________ energy is transferred in the wires.
2. Name the energy store in each of these. There may be more than one for each.
a. Food: __________________________________________________________________________________
b. Gasoline (petrol): _________________________________________________________________________
c. A falling rock: ____________________________________________________________________________
d. A book that has been lifted up onto a shelf: _____________________________________________________
3. a. Name two energy stores that will last for a long time.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
b. Name one energy store, apart from thermal energy, that will not last for a long time.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Describe an example that shows thermal energy cannot be stored for a long time.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
5. The human population in the world is growing. Many countries are developing rapidly. Explain how this is
affecting the amount of energy being used in the world.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
3.6 Changes in Energy
Situation Changes in Energy
A person clapping their hands
A slingshot being pulled back
An electric fan running
A battery powering a flashlight
A solar panel on a roof
A hydroelectric dam generating electricity
A wind chime ringing in the breeze
A firefly glowing in the dark
A stereo speaker playing music
An apple falling from a tree
A microwave oven heating food
Rubbing your hands together quickly
A car braking to a stop
A flashlight using batteries
Questions
1. Copy and complete the sentence: When something happens, energy is ______________ or _____________.
2. The useful energy change in a candle can be written as chemical to light. Write down the useful energy
change in each of these:
a. an electric lamp
b. a bus
c. a radio
3. Draw diagrams to show the energy changes in:
a. a motorcycle that uses gasoline (petrol) for movement
b. a wood-burning fire used for cooking
c. a bird using movement to fly higher
d. a ball rolling down a hill.
3.7 Where does energy goes?
Every time you use energy to make something happen, energy is transferred or changed. Some of the energy
transferred or changed is useful, but some of it is wasted.
The motorcycle engine uses the chemical energy stored in the fuel.
This chemical energy is changed to useful kinetic energy to move the motorcycle and rider.
But chemical energy from the fuel is also changed into thermal energy and sound energy.
In fact, only about ¼ or 25% of the chemical energy in the fuel is used for movement.
The other ¾ or 75% of the energy is wasted energy. This wasted energy is dissipated and cannot be recovered.
Both lamps A and B in the picture change electrical energy to light energy.
Lamp A only changes about 15% of the electrical energy into light. 85% of the electrical energy is wasted as
thermal energy from this lamp. This is dissipated as thermal energy.
Lamp B changes about 50% of the electrical energy into light. 50% of the electrical energy is dissipated as
thermal energy from this lamp.
Every time energy is changed or transferred, there is some thermal energy is wasted. This wasted thermal
energy is dissipated.
Questions
Which of these terms describes energy that is dissipated?
energy that spreads out and becomes less useful
energy that becomes more useful
energy that can be used later
energy that is not useful but can be stored
