Energy in Our Life: Forms of Energy Module Overview

Forms Of Energy: Chemical, Thermal, Electromagnetic Radiation, Gravitational, Electrical, Elastic and Nuclear Energy is all around us, even though we can't see energy we know it's there. We can see the movement it causes, the heat is produces, and the sounds that it creates. There are many forms of energy that can transform from one type to another, and we can use these transformations to do work. Energy can be stored for long periods of time, and then be converted into another form that can help us to carry out our daily tasks. All energy on Earth originated from the Sun or other sources in the solar system when the Earth was formed. Even the energy from the gasoline for your parents' car originally came from the Sun!

We take stored energy in the form of fossil fuels, nuclear, wind, and hydroelectric and convert it into mechanical, thermal, light, and sound energy for us to use. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only change form, but this does not mean that we will not run out of energy. If we continue to use energy reserves, we may convert so much of it into unusable forms that we may not be able to power the future. We will learn how energy is transformed, how we can use it more efficiently, and how to come up with new ways to harness alternative energy sources for our future.

Essential Questions

How can a roller coaster move along its track without an engine pushing or pulling on it?
How is energy transferred to my home?
How does energy travel from the Sun to the Earth?
How are wind and ocean currents created?

Key Terms

Alternating current - Electrical current that periodically reverses direction. Can be transmitted over long distances
Chemical Energy - The energy contained in the chemical bonds of a substance
Conduction - Direct movement of energy from one molecule to the next
Convection cell - Circular movements of fluids due to changes in density
Convection - The movement of fluids due to differences in density created by uneven heating
Direct Current - Electrical current that moves in one direction
Electrical Energy - A form of energy that is produced by the flow of electric charge through a conductor
Electromagnetic Radiation - Energy produced by the motion of electrically charged particles. This form of energy can travel through empty space as well as any other substance
Energy - The ability to do work
Frequency - The number of waves that pass a given point per unit of time
Kinetic Energy - Energy of motion that is in the process of doing work
Potential Energy - Stored energy that has the potential to do work
Radiant Energy - Energy derived from the emission of radiation. Example: energy from the sun
Temperature - The measurement of the amount of thermal energy that an object contains
Thermal Energy - The amount of energy that an object contains due to the kinetic energy of its atoms or molecules
Turbine - A special kind of generator that produces electrical energy as it turns
Wavelength - The distance between two crests of a wave

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