dttp science energy. what is energy? what do we already know? brainstorm session

DTTP Science

Energy

Energy

What is energy?

What do we already know?

Brainstorm session

Energy

Several distinct forms of energy.

The language we use in everyday talk gets in the way of a deeper understanding of energy.

Energy

Energy is not used up,

it is just converted.

Energy

As an abstract idea, energy is difficult to understand.

Implications for the National Curriculum.

In primary schools, teachers focus on the effects of energy and rarely study energy itself.

Energy

Trainees are expected to understand some of the fundamental ideas about energy and see how they apply to the ideas taught in schools.

Energy

What is energy?

Without energy nothing happens

Energy

Energy is the capacity to do work.

Work is done when objects are moved or heated.

Energy

Energy can be converted from one form to another such as when coal or oil is burnt in a power station.

The heat produced by this process is used to make steam which turns a generator.

This mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy.

Energy

Fuels and food are sources of energy.

This energy can be traced back to the plants, including the myriad of single-celled plants, which used solar power to create their structures including leaves, stems, roots and fruits.

Energy

• Fuel in the form of petrol gives cars the capacity to do work.

• A car engine does work on the wheels to make the car move.

• Electrical energy from a battery does work on the filament of a bulb to make it glow.

• The gravitational pull of the Earth does work on a cyclist as they roll down a hill.

Energy

• A stretched catapult elastic does work on the stone to make it move.

• A moving hammer does work on a nail to push it into a piece of wood.

Energy is measured in Joules (J).

The same unit is used to measure work.

Energy

Force A force is a push or a pull.

To exert a force you must have energy.

Forces can: stretch or squash objects change the speed of an object alter the direction of an object’s movement

Energy

Force Examples of force are push, pull and their

combinations – twist and bend

Gravity is either a push or a pull – most likely a pull.

Centrifugal is a nice word

The unit in which forces are measured is newtons (N). What is Newton’s 3rd Law?

Energy

Work Work is done when an object moves,

electricity flows or an object is heated.

In moving objects, one joule is defined as the work done when a force of 1N moves a distance of 1 metre.

1 joule = 1 newton x 1 metre

Energy – the Go in the world All energy comes from the sun as radiated heat.

Plants convert this to potential or stored energy. Animals eat or otherwise use the plants and store it to do work. All movement using the potential energy is Kinetic energy - action

Work In electrical energy, one joule of work is done when

one watt of power acts for one second. Watts x seconds = work done (joules)

Energy

Forms of energy Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. All moving objects have kinetic energy. The heavier

and faster the moving object the more energy it has.

Chemical energy is the energy associated with food and fuels.

Chemical changes produce new substances. Chemical changes can sometimes be reversed.

Energy

Gravitational potential energy is the energy of a position of an object.

We can calculate the potential energy of an object if we know its mass and the distance it is raised. The greater the height and the mass the more potential energy an object has.

Heat energy is the energy of hot objects. A spark from a sparkler has a high temperature but

relatively little heat energy compared with a large hand-hot radiator.

EnergyAll these are only tags for confusion

Electrical potential energy is the ability of an electric current to do work.

A cell makes electrical energy from a chemical reaction.

Energy Sound energy is a form of kinetic energy. Sound makes objects and materials vibrate.

Light energy is a form of electromagnetic radiation.

Light energy from the sun can be converted directly into electricity in a solar cell.

Nuclear energy is released when a neutron hits the nucleus of a uranium 235 atom.

The atom splits into 2 parts and smaller particles, releasing a huge amount of energy as it does so. This process is called nuclear fission.

Energy

Energy and fuel Food and fuel contain potential that is

released when these are combined with oxygen.

Energy

Fuels for generating electricity There are three main classes of fuels which

can be used to generate electricity: fossil fuels such as gas, oil and coal renewable fuels such as wood nuclear fuel such as uranium

What other ways are there to generate electricity?

Energy

• Tidal power – the motion of tides coming in and out of estuaries can be used to drive turbines.

• Push and pull

• Hydroelectric power – the potential energy of water is used to turn generators. The higher the drop the more energy can be generated.

• Push

• Wind power – moving air can be used to turn propellers.

• Push

Energy• Wave power – moving air creates friction across

the surface of water and makes waves which can be used to turn generators.

• Geothermal power - the interior of the Earth is very hot. Where this heat is very close to the surface, e.g. in Iceland, it can be used to heat water which in turn is used to drive generators.

• Solar power – can directly produce electricity using photoelectric cells

Energy Chemical changes produce

electricity Luigi Galvani

Allessandro Volta

Some cells are made using carbon and zinc as

the two terminals separated by a chemical paste. Electricity flows from the zinc to the carbon.

Energy

Energy transfers in biological processes

At the base of the vast majority of food chains are green plants which use the energy of the sun to drive the chemical reactions of photosynthesis.

It is the green plants’ ability to make starch and sugar from carbon dioxide and water which distinguishes them from all other living things.

Energy flows within an ecosystem are complex.

Energy

Energy flows in ecosystems

The energy from the sun is used by plants to photosynthesise.

Some of the plant food is used directly by birds, herbivorous animals and small arthropods such as insects and mites. These small animals are in turn preyed upon by carnivores.

Some creatures are omnivores, consuming both plants and animals.

Energy

Converting energy in our bodies

Digestion

Respiration

Energy

A person’s body requires different amounts of fuel to perform functions: kJ used per hour (approx.)

sleeping 270 sitting 420 standing 440 walking 850 running 1500 very hard exercise 2500

Energy

Heat energy Heat energy is transferred by three processes:

conduction

convection

radiation

Energy

Energy Changes Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Energy

can only change in form. A bungee jumper jumping off a bridge involves: gravitational potential energy on the bridge increasing kinetic energy as they fall increasing elastic strain potential energy in the elastic increasing kinetic energy as they spring upwards energy dissipated as they hang motionless before being

helped down

Energy

Where does energy appear in the Science NC and the QCA Unit Plans?

What are the links with other NC subjects?

Energy

A summary of key points

Energy

• energy is the capacity to do work

• work is done when an object moves, electricity flows or an object is heated

• energy can be in a number of different forms

• energy can be converted from one form to another

• energy cannot be created or destroyed

Energy

• food and fuel do not contain energy but energy is released when the food or fuel is combined with oxygen

• energy is released from nuclear material when nuclei are split

• chemical changes produce electricity• food pyramids summarise energy transfers in

biological systems• heat energy moves from hotter objects to colder

Energy

Some questions to consider

Energy

Question 1 Imagine we were able to collect all the

gases given off by a burnt candle.

Would the mass of the gases be:

less than the original candle?

more than the original candle?

the same as the original candle?

Energy

Answer to Question 1

More than the mass of the original ……

……… because burning the wax is a constructive process in which oxygen is combined with the elements which make up the wax.

Energy

Question 2

When plants photosynthesise, what chemical bonds are they breaking in the materials they use?

Energy

Answer to Question 2

They are pulling apart the oxygen and carbon from the carbon dioxide……….

…….and they are separating the oxygen from the hydrogen in the water molecules.