Energy Basics

Energy Basics

by William Lovering

Multiple Choice

What do we call the energy of an object in motion?

• kinetic energy

• potential energy

• light energy

• motional energy

Multiple Choice

What best describes potential energy?

• The energy that an object has because of its motion

• The energy stored in an object

• The energy released when an object is heated

Multiple Choice

What best describes gravitational potential energy?

• The energy an object has due to its position

• The energy an object has due to the moon

• The energy an object has due to falling.

Multiple Choice

An object is traveling with a total kinetic energy of 500 joules. It starts to go uphill. On the way up the hill, it gains 200 joules of potential energy.

How much total energy does it have?

• 500j

• 700j

• 300j

• 100000j

Multiple Choice

An object is traveling with a total kinetic energy of 500 joules. It starts to go uphill. On the way up the hill, it gains 200 joules of potential energy.

Where did the 200 joules of potential come from?

• It was created by gravity as it went up the hill.

• It was transformed from kinetic energy as it went up the hill.

• It was stored in the hill when the object got there.

Multiple Choice

An object is traveling with a total kinetic energy of 500 joules. It starts to go uphill. On the way up the hill, it gains 200 joules of potential energy.

How much kinetic energy does it have?

• 500j

• 200j

• 700j

• 300j

Multiple Choice

What word in science means that the total amount of something never changes.

• Equilibrium

• Inference

• Potential

• Conservation

Mechanical Energy

If an object has mechanical energy, it can do work.

What is work? Work is a very specific idea in
physics.

In physics, work happens when a force is applied to an object, causing the
object to move. If the object does not move, no work is done.

Examples: pushing a grocery cart, an apple falling, a paperclip jumping toward a
magnet, etc…

All of these are work because a force is applied and the object moved.

Other Forms of Energy
Mechanical Energy is not the only
form of kinetic and potential
energy.

Other types of energy include:

▪Thermal energy

▪ electrical energy

▪chemical energy

▪electromagnetic (light) energy

▪sound energy

▪nuclear energy.

Thermal Kinetic Energy

When you measure temperature,
you are measuring the kinetic
energy of particles.

This kinetic energy is called
Thermal Energy.

Electricity

When electrons flow from one place to
another, they represent another type of
energy.

That’s called electricity or electrical energy.

Sound

Have you wondered how sound works?
Sound is made of vibrations that travel
through a substance.

Vibrations are a form of movement,
sound is a form of energy called sound
energy.

Gravitational Potential

When an object on Earth is lifted above
the ground, earth’s gravity applies a
downward force on it. If it is released, it
will fall.

This means when it is above the
ground, even if it is not moving, it has
the potential to move.

This is called gravitational potential
energy. It is energy gained due to an
object’s position above the ground.

Elastic Potential

Whenever you stretch or bend an
object like a rubber band or a
spring, it wants to snap back to its
original shape.

While you are bending it, you are
giving it elastic potential energy.

Elastic potential energy is the
energy stored when you deform an
object that will return to its
original form.

Heat

Thermal kinetic energy likes
to flow from high
temperatures to low. If you’ve
ever had an ice cream melt or
a warm bowl of soup get cold,
you’ve seen this happen. So
whenever you have a
difference in temperature,
you have potential for heat
energy.

Chemical Potential

Many substances are held together by something
called chemical bonds and sometimes these bonds
can store lots of energy which can be released
when they are broken.

chemical potential energy is the type of energy
found in food we eat that we measure in calories.
We release the energy

Nuclear Energy

Nuclear potential energy is energy
stored in the nucleus of atoms.

By splitting the nucleus the energy
can be released where it is
transformed into other types of
energy.

This is the energy released at
nuclear power plants and atomic
bombs.

Light Energy

Light is a form of energy that
is electromagnetic radiation.

It is the source of energy that
powers most life on the earth

Energy Transformation

Summary

Energy is the ability to cause change/do work.

Work requires a force to move an object a distance.

When a object moves it is called kinetic energy.

Stored energy is called potential energy. If it is stored due to its
position above the ground, it is gravitational potential energy.

Mechanical energy is the total kinetic and potential energy of an
object.

Work gives an object mechanical energy.

Summary Continued

Energy is never created or destroyed. The total energy
in a system is always the same (conserved).

Energy can change into different forms. Kinetic to
potential or other forms.

Other forms of energy include Thermal/Heat,
Electrical, Sound, Light, Nuclear, Chemical, and Elastic.

Multiple Choice

Energy of motion

• kinetic energy

• potential energy

Multiple Choice

Which of the following has kinetic energy?

• a rock poised for a fall

• an archer's bow that is drawn back

• a rolling bowling ball

• A spring that has been compressed

Multiple Choice

What is the energy transformation that occurs in an electric pencil sharpener?

• mechanical energy to electrical energy

• electrical energy to mechanical energy

• radiant energy to sound energy

• chemical energy to mechanical energy

Multiple Choice

Which object shows an energy transformation from electrical to mechanical?

Multiple Choice

When a car burns gasoline it creates hot air to move the pistons in the engine, which causes the car to move. What energy transformation occur from the fuel to the movement of a car?

• thermal energy to mechanical energy

• thermal energy to chemical energy to mechanical energy

• chemical energy to thermal energy to mechanical energy

• chemical energy to electrical energy

Multiple Choice

Which of the following energy transformations occur when a lamp that is plugged into a wall socket is functioning correctly?

• Chemical to light

• Electrical to chemical

• Electrical to light

• Chemical to electrical

Multiple Choice

What kind of energy is represented in the picture?

• Thermal

• Chemical

• Sound

• Nuclear

Multiple Choice

According to the Law of Conservation of Energy, energy cannot be _________ or ____________. 

• destroyed, destroyed

• created, saved

• created, destroyed

• lost, found

Multiple Choice

What kind of energy is represented in this picture?

• Thermal

• Potential

• Nuclear

• Mechanical

Multiple Choice

Two students place three ice cubes in a glass of water that was at room temperature. Which of the following scenarios would best describe the results of the investigation?

• Energy from the water will transfer to the ice cubes, causing the ice to melt.

• Cold from the ice cubes will transfer to the water, causing the water to cool.

Multiple Choice

Choose the image below that shows potential energy decreasing then increasing if following the arrows from left to right?

Multiple Choice

Where would an object have the most potential energy?

• The bottom of a hill

• The top of the hill

• On the way down the hill

• It never has potential energy

Multiple Choice

What type of energy transformation occurs, when a hawk eats a mouse and then uses the energy from the mouse to fly?

• mechanical energy to chemical energy

• thermal energy to mechanical energy

• chemical energy to mechanical energy

• mechanical energy to thermal energy

Multiple Choice

What energy transformations take place when a battery-operated radio is in use?

• Electrical to chemical to light

• Sound to chemical to mechanical

• Chemical to electrical to sound

• Light to electrical to thermal

Multiple Choice

what type of energy is stored in a battery?

• electrical

• chemical

• thermal

• mechanical