Forms of Energy and Transformations
At the corner store, the fan motor spins, the cell phone charges, and the juice stays cold in the refrigerator. When there is a blackout, everything stops. What is it that runs out when the power goes off and that your body also uses to run? It is energy: you can't see it, but you can recognize it by what it does: move, heat, light up, or make something sound.
Forms of energy
A moving car, a lit stove, and a light bulb lighting a dark room are very different changes. What do movement, heat, and light have in common? They all need energy.
State what form of energy each of these things has: a) A kite flying high at the beach. b) Water stored in a reservoir, at the top of the dam. c) A new, unused battery.…
State what form of energy each of these things has:
- a) A kite flying high at the beach.
- b) Water stored in a reservoir, at the top of the dam.
- c) A new, unused battery.
- d) The flame of a camping stove.
Match each form of energy to its example and write out the four complete pairs: a) Nuclear energy. b) Wind energy. c) Sound energy. d) Electrical energy. Examples: the…
Match each form of energy to its example and write out the four complete pairs:
- a) Nuclear energy.
- b) Wind energy.
- c) Sound energy.
- d) Electrical energy.
Examples: the doorbell, a windmill, the wall socket and the Sun.
Yasmin has a sandwich for breakfast and then plays a handball match, in which she runs and sweats a lot. a) What form of energy was stored in the breakfast food? b) Name…
Yasmin has a sandwich for breakfast and then plays a handball match, in which she runs and sweats a lot.
- a) What form of energy was stored in the breakfast food?
- b) Name two forms of energy into which her body transforms it during the match.
Kinetic energy and potential energy
A baseball thrown at 140 km/h hurts the glove much more than one thrown slowly. And a coconut that falls from a tall palm tree hits harder than one that falls from a low bush. What do these two energies depend on?
Vera has left her book on the top shelf of the bookcase, as shown in the figure. a) What form of energy does the book have because it is so high up? b) If the book…
Vera has left her book on the top shelf of the bookcase, as shown in the figure.
- a) What form of energy does the book have because it is so high up?
- b) If the book falls, into what form of energy is that energy transformed while it falls?
The wind turns the colourful pinwheel that Nico has planted in the garden, as shown in the figure. a) What form of energy does the moving air have? b) What form of…
The wind turns the colourful pinwheel that Nico has planted in the garden, as shown in the figure.
- a) What form of energy does the moving air have?
- b) What form of energy do the pinwheel blades have as they rotate?
One form turns into another
At the neighbourhood party they have connected some large speakers, like the one in the figure. a) What form of energy enters the speaker through the cable? b) What form…
At the neighbourhood party they have connected some large speakers, like the one in the figure.
- a) What form of energy enters the speaker through the cable?
- b) What form of energy comes out of it and makes us dance?
In a thermal power plant, natural gas is burned to generate electricity. The diagram of the plant is as follows: The chain of transformations is out of order: a)…
In a thermal power plant, natural gas is burned to generate electricity. The diagram of the plant is as follows:
The chain of transformations is out of order:
- a) Electrical energy.
- b) Chemical energy of the gas.
- c) Kinetic energy of the turbine.
- d) Thermal energy of the water vapour.
Write it in order using arrows, from the gas to the power grid.
In Daniela's garden there is a solar street light that turns on automatically at night. a) What form of energy does it collect from the Sun during the day? b) In what…
In Daniela's garden there is a solar street light that turns on automatically at night.
- a) What form of energy does it collect from the Sun during the day?
- b) In what form is that energy stored in the light's battery?
- c) Write the chain of transformations that energy undergoes at night, from the battery to the light.
Bruno's camping torch works on batteries. a) Write the complete chain of transformations, from the energy stored in the battery to the light that comes out. b) In…
Bruno's camping torch works on batteries.
- a) Write the complete chain of transformations, from the energy stored in the battery to the light that comes out.
- b) In addition to giving light, the bulb warms up a little: what other form of energy appears?
Energy is neither created nor destroyed
If you rub your hands together hard, you feel heat right away. If you drop a rubber ball, it bounces several times, losing height until it stops. Where did the energy it had at the start go, if nothing can be destroyed?
Complete the sentence with the missing words: "Energy is neither created nor destroyed, it is only $\dots$ from one form to $\dots$". Then give an everyday example in…
Complete the sentence with the missing words: "Energy is neither created nor destroyed, it is only $\dots$ from one form to $\dots$". Then give an everyday example in which this happens.
In an old light bulb, out of every $100\ \text{J}$ of electrical energy, only $10\ \text{J}$ are converted into light. The figure shows this energy flow. a) How many…
In an old light bulb, out of every $100\ \text{J}$ of electrical energy, only $10\ \text{J}$ are converted into light. The figure shows this energy flow.
- a) How many joules are lost as heat?
- b) Why does it burn to touch one of these light bulbs after it has been on for a while?
Carlos goes down a long hill on his bike without pedaling, and brakes when he reaches the bottom, as shown in the figure. a) What energy transformation takes place while…
Carlos goes down a long hill on his bike without pedaling, and brakes when he reaches the bottom, as shown in the figure.
- a) What energy transformation takes place while he goes down and gains speed?
- b) When braking to a stop, into what form of energy is the kinetic energy transformed?
Aitana swings on a swing higher and higher. The figure shows the swing at the highest point (A) and at the lowest point (B). a) What form of energy does she have at the…
Aitana swings on a swing higher and higher. The figure shows the swing at the highest point (A) and at the lowest point (B).
- a) What form of energy does she have at the highest point, where she stops for a moment?
- b) And what form of energy does she have when passing through the lowest point?
- c) If nobody pushes her, she goes less high each time. What "thief" takes away part of the energy and into what form does it convert it?
Work and energy
When you push a car that ran out of gas, you set it in motion: you give it energy. That energy doesn't come from nowhere: it comes from you.
If a person lifts a $5\ \text{kg}$ box onto a shelf $2\ \text{m}$ high, the potential energy of the box increases by $\Delta E_p = 5 \times 10 \times 2 = 100\ \text{J}$. That is the work the person did, and that energy came from the chemical energy of their food.
On a roller coaster, the carriage is stopped at the top of a $30\ \text{m}$ hill and then drops almost to the ground, as shown in the figure. a) Describe the energy…
On a roller coaster, the carriage is stopped at the top of a $30\ \text{m}$ hill and then drops almost to the ground, as shown in the figure.
- a) Describe the energy transformation that takes place on the way down.
- b) If there were no friction at all, to what height could it climb on the next hill? Why?
- c) In reality it always climbs a little less. Into what has the "missing" energy been converted?
Energy in the human body
Your body has no plug and no gas tank, but it runs, thinks, and keeps a temperature of 37 °C. Where does it get its energy?
From food. Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins store chemical energy. With the oxygen you breathe, cells release it little by little and store it in a molecule called ATP, which works like the cell's "rechargeable battery": every time a muscle contracts or a neuron sends a signal, it uses up ATP.
The energy in food is measured in calories (cal) or kilocalories (kcal): $1\ \text{kcal} = 4.184\ \text{kJ}$. A plate of mangú with eggs provides about 400 kcal.
Your body is not a perfect machine: only about a quarter of the energy is converted into useful work (movement). The rest leaves as heat, which is why you sweat when you exercise.
When a gymnast lands on a trampoline, her muscles and the mat work together: the mat stores elastic energy as it stretches and gives it back as it recovers. But to go higher and higher each time, the gymnast adds extra energy with her legs, and that energy comes from the chemical energy of her food, transformed with the help of ATP.
A gymnast jumps on a trampoline. a) What form of energy does she have at the highest point of the jump? b) Describe the complete transformations from the moment she…
A gymnast jumps on a trampoline.
- a) What form of energy does she have at the highest point of the jump?
- b) Describe the complete transformations from the moment she falls until she rises again: what happens to the energy when the trampoline stretches and when it recoils?
- c) To jump higher and higher, the gymnast "pushes" with her legs on each bounce. Where does her body get this extra energy from?
Measuring and paying for energy: the kilowatt-hour
Every month the electric bill arrives from EDESUR, EDENORTE, or EDEESTE. How is the amount to pay calculated?
An electric heater of $2\ \text{kW}$ is switched on for $3\ \text{h}$. How much energy does it consume? Express it in $\text{kWh}$.
An electric heater of $2\ \text{kW}$ is switched on for $3\ \text{h}$. How much energy does it consume? Express it in $\text{kWh}$.
A washing machine of $2\ \text{kW}$ does a wash cycle that lasts $1.5\ \text{h}$. a) How much energy does it consume, in $\text{kWh}$? b) If a kilowatt-hour costs…
A washing machine of $2\ \text{kW}$ does a wash cycle that lasts $1.5\ \text{h}$.
- a) How much energy does it consume, in $\text{kWh}$?
- b) If a kilowatt-hour costs $12\ \text{\text{RD\$}\ /kWh}$, how much does that wash cycle cost?
The microwave oven at home consumed $7.2\times10^{6}\ \text{J}$ in one month. Knowing that $1\ \text{kWh} = 3.6\times10^{6}\ \text{J}$: a) How many $\text{kWh}$ has it…
The microwave oven at home consumed $7.2\times10^{6}\ \text{J}$ in one month. Knowing that $1\ \text{kWh} = 3.6\times10^{6}\ \text{J}$:
- a) How many $\text{kWh}$ has it consumed?
- b) How much did that month of microwave use cost, at $12\ \text{\text{RD\$}\ /kWh}$?
Hugo's family's house has solar panels that produce $8\ \text{kWh}$ per day, but the house consumes $11\ \text{kWh}$ per day. a) How many $\text{kWh}$ do they buy each…
Hugo's family's house has solar panels that produce $8\ \text{kWh}$ per day, but the house consumes $11\ \text{kWh}$ per day.
- a) How many $\text{kWh}$ do they buy each day from the power grid?
- b) How many $\text{kWh}$ do they buy in a month of $30$ days?
- c) How much do those kilowatt-hours cost, at $12\ \text{\text{RD\$}\ /kWh}$?
Putting it all together
With these ideas you can analyze complete situations: where energy is transformed, how much is lost as heat, and whether or not a device is worth it.
An old light bulb transforms $100\ \text{J}$ of electrical energy into $10\ \text{J}$ of light. An LED bulb transforms the same $100\ \text{J}$ into $40\ \text{J}$ of…
An old light bulb transforms $100\ \text{J}$ of electrical energy into $10\ \text{J}$ of light. An LED bulb transforms the same $100\ \text{J}$ into $40\ \text{J}$ of light. The figure compares the energy flow of the two bulbs.
- a) How much energy does each one lose as heat?
- b) Which one would you choose for your home? Justify your answer using the data.
- c) In summer it is hot at home. Explain why having many old light bulbs switched on can make the air conditioning use even more energy.
An electric car is charged at a house with solar panels, as shown in the figure. a) Write the complete chain of transformations, from sunlight to the motion of the car.…
An electric car is charged at a house with solar panels, as shown in the figure.
- a) Write the complete chain of transformations, from sunlight to the motion of the car. It must include at least four forms of energy.
- b) State two moments in that chain where some energy is lost as heat.
- c) Some electric cars recharge the battery slightly when braking. What energy transformation do they take advantage of to do this?
A friend tells you: "It doesn't matter if you leave the light on, because energy is not destroyed, it is only transformed." a) Is it true that energy is not destroyed?…
A friend tells you: "It doesn't matter if you leave the light on, because energy is not destroyed, it is only transformed."
- a) Is it true that energy is not destroyed?
- b) Explain why, even so, this reasoning is wrong: think about what form of energy the bulb's energy ends up as and whether it can be reused.
- c) Add another argument related to energy sources or money.
The International Space Station has huge solar panels as well as large batteries. a) It orbits the Earth once every $90\ \text{min}$ and part of the journey is in…
The International Space Station has huge solar panels as well as large batteries.
- a) It orbits the Earth once every $90\ \text{min}$ and part of the journey is in shadow. Why does it need batteries if it already has panels?
- b) Write the chain of transformations from sunlight to the onboard computer when the station is in shadow.
- c) Computers and appliances heat up: what form of energy is in excess and must be radiated into space?
A pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant pumps water at night from a lower lake to an upper one, using cheap excess electricity. During the day it releases the water…
A pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant pumps water at night from a lower lake to an upper one, using cheap excess electricity. During the day it releases the water and generates electricity. The diagram of the installation is as follows:
- a) Write down the sequence of transformations at night, when pumping the water up, and during the day, when releasing it.
- b) In the process, some energy is lost as heat. Does this contradict the idea that energy is conserved? Explain your answer.
- c) If it loses energy, why is it worthwhile for the power station to operate like this? Think about how electricity does not cost the same at $3$ in the morning as at $8$ in the afternoon.
Back to the beginning: what runs out in a blackout is the supply of electrical energy; your body, in contrast, uses the chemical energy of food, which it transforms into movement and heat. In both cases the energy doesn't disappear: it changes form.