Energy changes booklet
Energy changes 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 observe that energy can change from one form to a different form.
- I will find out that some energy is transferred from an object into the surrounding environment.
- I will describe energy changes.
- I will learn that we cannot make energy or destroy energy.
You’re going to be a science explorer!
Key Words
- destroy
- electrical appliances
- electrical energy
Tap to Learn the Meanings!
- destroy: To break or ruin something completely.
- electrical appliances: Devices powered by electricity, like a fridge or TV.
- electrical energy: Energy that comes from electricity and powers devices.
Great job learning new words!
Energy can change form
Energy moves in different ways. Sometimes it changes form when it moves.
Think about hitting a drum. We use movement energy to hit the drum. The energy moves from our hand to the drum. The drum skin moves and the drum makes a sound. This happens because the movement energy changes to sound energy.
Electricity is another form of energy. We call it electrical energy. There are often energy changes when we use electrical appliances such as stoves and fans. These are objects that need electrical energy to work. For example, a fan changes electrical energy into movement energy.
Not all the energy in an object moves to another object. In the fan, some of the movement energy changes into sound energy. The sound moves into the surrounding environment.
Let’s Investigate!
Question: What happens when we observe energy changes from a lamp?
Equipment: Desk lamp, paper spiral, thin string, pencil
Safety First:
- Don’t let the paper touch the lamp.
Method:
- Use the pencil to make a hole in one end of the paper spiral.
- Thread the string through the hole.
- Tie a knot in the end of the string to hold the spiral in place. Tie the free end of string around the pencil.
- Turn the lamp over so that it shines upwards, towards the ceiling. Hold the spiral about 10 cm above the lamp.
Follow-up Questions:
Tap to See Answers
- 1: The lamp also gives off heat.
- 2: The energy observed in the spiral is thermal energy as the lamp warms the spiral.
- 3a: The energy from the lamp is transferred as heat to the paper spiral.
- 3b: The heat energy from the lamp makes the spiral warm up and may cause it to move or change shape.
- 4: In a toaster, electrical energy is converted to heat energy, and in a fan, electrical energy is converted to kinetic energy (movement).
Great job, young scientist!
Where does the energy go?
Sometimes we can’t observe any signs that an object has energy. It seems that energy is used up. This is not so. Energy cannot get used up. We also cannot destroy energy so that it disappears or no longer exists.
Energy can only be transferred and change form. For example, if we leave a cup of hot tea for a while, it gets cold. The heat energy in the tea is not used up or destroyed. Instead, the heat energy moves from the tea and cup to the surrounding environment.
In the same way, we cannot make energy. All the energy around us has always been with us and always will be with us. It just moves and changes form.
FUN QUESTIONS
1. Why does it sometimes seem that energy is used up? Give an example.
Show answer
2. If the energy is not used up or destroyed, where does it go?