Thermal Energy

Thermal Energy

Open Ended

What is Thermal Energy?

Thermal Energy:

• The total amount of energy of all of the particles in a substance.

• Heat is energy that is transferred.

• Temperature is how we measure the amount of kinetic energy in a substance.

Open Ended

What are the different energy transformations that happen in a mouse trap?

Poll

What happens to the particles in a substance as heat/energy is added or taken away?

• They speed up or slow down.

• They stay the same.

Solids, Liquids and Gases

• Solids have a definite shape and definite volume.

• Liquids have definite volume but not definite shape.

• Gases do not have shape or volume.

Multiple Select

What do solids have that gases do not?

• Shape

• More heat/energy

• Volume

• Less heat/energy

Law of Conservation of Energy

• Energy is always changing form. Just like in solids, liquids and gases.

• When this change happens energy is conserved or saved.

• So the Law of Conservation of Energy states: Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It only changes to a new form.

Open Ended

Even though they both are at the same temperature, which one has more thermal energy? The tea pot or the tea cup?

Types of energy transfers

• Convection: transfer that happens in fluids such as liquids and gases. It is a movement of hot moving up and cool moving down, or circulating in a system.

• Conduction: transfer of energy that happens when matter comes in contact with other matter. Like when and ice cube melts in your hand.

• Radiation: transfer of energy through electromagnetic waves. This is when you feel heat off of a fire or when you feel the warmth of the sun when you are outside.

Conductors and Insulators

• Conductors are objects or material that allow energy to transmit or pass through them easily. This would be things like metals and liquids.

• Insulators are objects or materials that do not allow energy to pass through to transmit easily. These would be things like wood, glass, plastic, and the fibers that we wear.

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Open Ended

What are insulators and what are conductors?

Multiple Select

Check all that would make a good conductor.

• Steel

• Winter jacket

• Water

• Aluminum

• Glass