Energy transfers booklet
Energy transfers booklet
- Unit 1: Living things
- Unit 2: Energy
- Unit 3: Materials
- Unit 4: Earth and its habitats
- Unit 5: Light
- Unit 6: Electricity
This Topic is About...
- I will find out that energy can be transferred from one object to another object.
- I will learn that energy does not get used up or disappear.
- I will observe and describe energy transfers.
- I will identify factors in a fair test.
- I will think about why it is important to do fair test investigations.
- I will think about how to work safely in an investigation.
- I will think about how we can know if results are true.
- I will identify energy transfers.
You’re going to be a science explorer!
Key Words
- conclusion
- energy transfer
Tap to Learn the Meanings!
- conclusion: The final result or decision after considering all information.
- energy transfer: The movement of energy from one place or form to another.
Great job learning new words!
Energy can move
Energy makes things get hot. The hot water has heat energy. The heat energy in the hot water moves to the cup. This is an energy transfer. After a while, the cup and the water get colder. The heat energy does not get used up or disappear. The cup and the water get colder because the heat energy is transferred to other objects or into the surrounding environment.
We can think of the way energy moves from one object to as an energy chain. Here is an example of an energy chain for the transfer of heat energy from the water to the cup and surrounding environment.
water → cup → surrounding environment
Let’s Investigate!
Question: What happens when we heat water and add salt?
Equipment: Measuring cup, spoon, salt, kettle, glass of water
Safety First:
- Be careful with hot water!
- Ask an adult to help you pour.
Method:
- Heat some water carefully.
- Add one spoon of salt.
- Stir the water with a spoon.
- Watch closely what happens.
Follow-up Questions:
Tap to See Answers
- 1: We changed the temperature of the water.
- 2: We measured how the salt dissolved.
- 3: The type of salt and amount of water stayed the same.
Great job, young scientist!
Energy can be transferred
Energy can be transferred from any object that contains energy. Think about the Sun. It gives off heat energy and light energy. That energy is transferred through space to the Earth so we have heat and light.
Let’s Investigate!
Question: How can we test if different spoons heat up at different rates?
Observation: Zara made an observation.
Equipment: Metal teaspoon, plastic teaspoon, tea, kettle
Method:
- Ask a question to investigate Zara’s observation.
- Suggest how you could do a fair test investigation to answer your question. Remember to think about which things will change and which things you will keep the same. What will you measure?
- Why do we need to do fair tests in investigations?
- Identify any dangers in doing the investigation.
- How can you work safely in your investigation?
- How can you make sure that you do not make any mistakes when measuring?
- Suggest a way to present your results.
Tap to See Answers
- Fair Test: Ensure that only one factor (the spoon material) is changed while others remain constant (e.g., the temperature of the tea, the size of the spoons).
- Why Fair Tests Matter: To ensure that results are not influenced by other factors, making them reliable and valid.
- Dangers: Be careful when handling hot liquids. Ask for an adult’s help when necessary.
- Safety: Use mitts or tongs when handling hot objects, and always handle the kettle with care.
- Measuring: Use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the tea at regular intervals to avoid errors.
- Results: Present results in a table or graph showing the temperature change of each spoon type over time.
Great job, young scientist!