Types of Energy

Types of Energy

Learners can:

• identify examples of energy in the world around you

• explain how energy is conserved within systems

Vocabulary: chemical energy, energy transfer, law of conservation of energy

Draw

Draw energy.

Get creative!

There are no wrong answers!

Recall that the word energy means the ability to do work. Lots of things do work. Objects do work as they move. Plants do work as they grow. You do work as you think about what you are reading in this lesson.

Let's check out this video

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Engage

Word Cloud

Where do we get our energy from?

The video asked you to consider the question:

• You get energy from the fruits and vegetables you eat. Where does that energy come from?

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​Energy

Energy sources, such as the sun, provide energy to other objects. Energy comes in two primary forms:

• kinetic energy

• potential energy

All of the types of energy fit into one of these categories.

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Types of Energy

Recall that the word kinetic energy means energy of motion. Any object possesses kinetic energy while it moves. That movement can be easy to observe, such as a truck driving down the road. The movement can also be difficult to observe, such as the movement of individual atoms.

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Kinetic Energy

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the best example of kinetic energy?

• standing at the top of the stairs

• a ball rolling down a hill

• a picture hanging on the wall

• a bag of marbles on the table

​What type of energy is this?

-Kinetic

-Potential

​What type of energy is this?

-Kinetic

-Potential

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the best example of potential energy?

• drawing back a bow and arrow

• a ball rolling down a hill

Energy

The classic example of potential energy is a person at the top of a sliding board. This man is not moving. He has the potential to move towards the ground due to gravity because of his position at the top of the slide.

When you slide down the slide, an energy transfer occurs. The potential energy becomes kinetic energy as the people begin to move.

An energy transfer is the change of energy into a different form. Energy transfers can occur when:

• energy moves from one object to another; or

• energy changes to a different type.

​Energy Transfer

​Is there an energy transfer here?

Where?

You encounter energy transfers every day. Some examples include:

• striking a golf ball with a club;

• using energy from your food to exercise; and

• using a hot stove to cook food.

Any time energy changes form or moves to another object, an energy transfer occurs.

​Energy Transfers

Law of Conservation of Energy

The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed. However, you can convert energy from one form to another. When energy is transferred, it follows the law of conservation of energy.

The video below explains the law of conservation of energy. As you view the video, pay attention to how energy changes from one form to another.

Video

Draw

List one example of kinetic energy and one example of potential energy.

This is your exit ticket!