(EGY) Energy Module Overview

Energy Module Overview

At this point in your schooling career, you have heard a lot about energy. You know that your body requires energy, so you eat balanced meals. You know that electricity, light, heat, and sound are forms of energy. You know not to waste energy. What does that mean? How do you conserve energy?

In this module, you will study how energy is transformed from one form to another. Did you know energy cannot be created or destroyed? Do you know the different ways that heat is transferred to you when sitting around a campfire? Have you ever wondered why a swimming pool does not change temperature during a hot summer day like the pool chairs lining the edge of the pool? You will be able to answer these questions as you explore the lessons within this module.

Essential Questions

• How is the energy of an object related to its mass, volume, and height?
• How can we calculate the energy of an object?
• How is energy transferred and transformed?
• Why do objects store and transfer energy differently?

Key Terms

1. Energy - the ability to do work.
2. Law of conservation of energy - states that energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be changed from one form of energy to another.
3. Electrical Energy - energy transferred by an electric current (the movement of electrons or static electricity).
4. Sound Energy - energy transferred via sound waves and vibrating objects.
5. Thermal Energy - energy of an object due to its temperature caused by the internal motion of the particles.
6. Chemical Energy - energy stored in the bonds of atoms which is released when chemical reactions take place (example:   Fuel, Food, Batteries).
7. Light Energy - energy transferred through waves and light particles (photons).
8. Kinetic Energy - energy an object possesses due to its motion.  
9. Potential Energy - energy an object has because of its position.   Also known as stored energy.
10. Gravitational Potential Energy - energy as a result of an object's height above the ground.
11. Elastic Potential Energy - energy stored when an object is squeezed, stretched, twisted, etc.
12. Mechanical Energy - energy of matter in motion.
13. Nuclear Energy - energy stored in an atom's nucleus.
14. Heat Transfer - The transfer of kinetic energy between two objects due to a temperature difference between the two.
15. Conduction - the transfer of heat by direct contact between two materials with different temperatures.
16. Conductors - a material through which energy can be easily transferred as heat. (Example:   Metals)
17. Insulator - a material that is a poor energy conductor. (Example:   Wood or Plastic)
18. Convection - the transfer of heat through movement of a fluid (liquid or gas).  
19. Convection Current - the circular motion of the liquid or gas due to its density differences that result from temperature differences.   The warmer areas of a liquid/gas expand and move farther apart, causing it to be less dense.   Therefore warmer liquid/gas rises.   The cooler areas of liquid/gas condense (come together), causing it to be denser.   This causes cooler liquids/gases to fall or sink.
20. Radiation - the transfer of heat through matter or space as electromagnetic waves, such as visible light or infrared waves.
21. Specific Heat Capacity - defined as the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of a substance by 1°C. It is a measure of how much heat energy a particular substance can hold.
22. Temperature - measurement of the average kinetic energy of all the particles within an object.
23. Fossil Fuels - nonrenewable energy sources including coal, petroleum, and natural gas.
24. Geothermal Energy - energy used from tapping into the Earth's internal heat.
25. Hydroelectric Energy - flowing water creates energy that can be captured and turned into electricity.
26. Nuclear Energy - created from the splitting of uranium atoms in a process called fission. Fission releases energy that can be used to make steam and the steam is used to power a turbine to generate electricity.
27. Solar Energy - light and heat energy from the sun.
28. Wind Energy - capturing the wind by wind turbines and turning it into electricity.
29. Biomass - the organic matter that makes up plants is known as biomass. Biomass can be used to produce electricity, transportation fuels, or chemicals.

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