Energy Transformations
CPU Summer Workshop 2005
Chris Buehre, Greg Elson, Donetta Horky, Ken Presley
Major Concepts: Energy Transformation
Grade Level: 7th grade
Missouri Standards:
GOAL 1: Students in Missouri public schools will acquire the knowledge and skills to
gather, analyze and apply information and ideas.
Students will demonstrate within and integrate across all content areas the ability to
1.1develop questions and ideas to initiate and refine research
1.2 conduct research to answer questions and evaluate information and ideas
1.4 use technological tools and other resources to locate, select and organize
information
1.6 discover and evaluate patterns and relationships in information, ideas and
structures
1.8 organize data, information and ideas into useful forms (including charts,
graphs, outlines) for analysis or presentation
GOAL 2: Students in Missouri public schools will acquire the knowledge and skills to
communicate effectively within and beyond the classroom.
Students will demonstrate within and integrate across all content areas the ability to
2.1 plan and make written, oral and visual presentations for a variety of
purposes and audiences
2.3 exchange information, questions and ideas while recognizing the
perspectives of others
GOAL 3: Students in Missouri public schools will acquire the knowledge and skills to
recognize and solve problems.
Students will demonstrate within and integrate across all content areas the ability to
3.3 develop and apply strategies based on one’s own experience in preventing
or solving problems
3.4 evaluate the processes used in recognizing and solving problems
3.6 examine problems and proposed solutions form multiple perspectives
GOAL 4: Students in Missouri public schools will acquire the knowledge and skills to
make decisions and act as responsible members of society.
Students will demonstrate within and integrate across all content areas the ability to
4.1 explain reasoning and identify information used to support decisions
4.6 identify tasks that require a coordinated effort and work with others to
complete those tasks
Grade Level Expectations:
SC 1: Properties and Principals of Matter and Energy
SC1.2: Energy has a source, can be transferred, and can be transformed into various
forms but is conserved between and within systems.
SC1.2A: Forms of energy have a source, a means of transfer (work and heat), and a
receiver
SC1.2F: Energy can change from one form to another within the system but the total
amount remains the same.
Student Objectives:
1) TSWBAT predict the differences in temperature over time on different colored
(black and white) objects placed under a heat source.
2) TSWBAT identify the different energy transformations that occur between
different systems.
3) TSWBAT recognize that energy is not lost but conserved as it is transferred
and transformed.
Overview:
This module will link student knowledge of forms of energy to how energy is
transformed. It will focus on energy transformations by looking at energy
interactions and systems. Lessons will be taught with the PET constructivist
approach, ARBOR activities, along with PET simulators. Students will work in groups
of 4-6 students, depending on materials available, to carry out the activities. Class
periods are 40-45 minutes in length.
Background: Students will have prior knowledge of waves, frequency, amplitude,
and wavelength. The students will learn how to create energy diagrams as they
complete the unit on Force and Motion prior to this module. Common
misconceptions of students are that energy can be created and destroyed, or that
energy stops when it hits a barrier or boundary.
Lesson Activities: (4-5)
Elicitation Activities:
PET Interactions and Energy – Energy Interactions: Radiometer Activity
PET Cycle 5 – Activity 2: Light Energy
PET Cycle 6 – Activity 3: Non-Shiny White and Black (6-39 only)
Development Activities:
PET Cycle 1 – Activity 5: Constructing Explanations (p 1-54)
PET Cycle 6: Activity 1: Shiny Surfaces and Seeing #1-3 (2 days)
PET Cycle 6: Activity 3: Non-Shiny White and Black
- Experiment #1: What happens when light strikes white, gray
and black surfaces (pg 6-40)
PET Cycle 6: Activity 3: Non-Shiny White and Black (p 6-40 – 6-51)
Application Activities:
PET Light and Energy Phenomena – Cycle 6: Activity 6: Phenomena
Involving the Light, Heat Conduction and Infrared Interactions
-Experiment #1 and #2 (6-95 – 6-98)
Materials: (*Handout for each activity listed is needed)
Elicitation Activities:
-- PET Interactions and Energy – Energy Interactions: Radiometer Activity
 Radiometer
 Flashlight
-- PET Cycle 5 – Activity 2: Light Energy
 Flashlight
-- PET Cycle 6 – Activity 3: Non-Shiny White and Black (6-39 only)
Development Activities:
-- PET Cycle 1 – Activity 5: Constructing Explanations (p 1-54)
 Toy car or wheeled vehicle
-- PET Cycle 6: Activity 1: Shiny Surfaces and Seeing #1-3 (2 days)
 White paper with mylar square
 Flashlight
 Flat mirror
 Notebook size sheet of white paper
-- PET Cycle 6: Activity 3: Non-Shiny White and Black
- Experiment #1: What happens when light strikes white, gray and black
surfaces (pg 6-40 – 6-46)
 Flashlight (bright one with good batteries)
 Tubular bulb in socket
 White card
 Gray card
 Black card
 Flat mirror
 Piece of white paper (notebook size)
 Card with crinkled aluminum foil wrapped around it
Application Activities:
-- PET Light and Energy Phenomena – Cycle 6: Activity 6: Phenomena Involving the
Light, Heat Conduction and Infrared Interactions (6-95 – 6-98)
Time Required:
This module includes three elicitation activities designed to assess prior
knowledge and start students thinking. There are four developmental activities to
increase student understanding various energy transformations. There is one
application activity involving two experiments to demonstrate their understanding of
the concepts they have developed. Depending on the class make-up a minimum of
two weeks is required to teach the entire module. This is based on a class meeting
everyday for 45 minutes.
Assessment Tools:
Pre/Post Test
CPU & PET Light & Heat
Name: _____________
Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____ 1. What happens when light is shined onto gray paper?
a. temperature of paper increases
c. temperature of paper stays the
same
b. temperature of paper decreases
d. none of the above
____ 2. What happens when light is shined onto white paper?
a. temperature of paper increases
c. temperature stays the same
b. temperature of paper decreases
d. none of the above
____ 3. What happens when light is shined onto black paper?
a. temperature increases very slowly c. temperature increases quickly
b. temperature decreases very slowly d. temperature does not change
____ 4. What happens when light is shined onto a mirror?
a. all of the light energy is reflected
c. all of the light energy is absorbed
b. most of the light energy is reflected d. most of the light energy is
absorbed
____ 5. When you wind a rubber band on a toy airplane, what type of energy does the rubber
band have?
a. kinetic energy
c. thermal energy
b. elastic potential energy
d. mechanical energy
____ 6. In a hair dryer, electrical energy is changed into which type of energy that is used to
dry your hair?
a. light
c. thermal
b. nuclear
d. chemical
____ 7. When there is friction on a roller coaster, some of the potential energy is not
converted into
a. kinetic energy.
c. light energy.
b. nuclear energy.
d. chemical energy.
____ 8. Which type of energy makes a light bulb feel warm?
a. light energy
c. thermal energy
b. electrical energy
d. nuclear energy
____ 9. Whenever one form of energy is converted into another, some of the original energy
is always converted into which type of energy?
a. light
c. kinetic
b. thermal
d. sound
____ 10. Which of the following is a conversion from light energy to chemical energy?
a. turning on a stove to heat dinner
c. growing an apple tree
b. turning on a lamp
d. making toast in a toaster
____ 11. After energy conversions, you end up with the same total amount of energy as the
original amount of potential energy. Which law explains this rule?
a. law of energy changes
c. law of power and energy
b. law of conservation of energy
d. law of potential energy
____ 12. You turn on a lamp and the light bulb becomes warm. Which energy conversion
causes this heating of the light bulb?
a. thermal energy to electrical energy c. electrical energy to thermal energy
b. light energy to thermal energy
d. electrical energy to light energy
____ 13. Which law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed?
a. law of conservation of power
c. law of changing energy
b. law of conservation of energy
d. law of energy changes
____ 14. Waves transfer
a. matter.
b. energy.
c. particles.
d. water.
____ 15. An earthquake is an example of how waves can carry
a. matter.
c. energy.
b. objects.
d. All of the above.
____ 16. Any disturbance that transmits energy through matter or space is a
a. wave.
c. ray.
b. medium.
d. compression.
____ 17. One complete back-and-forth motion of an object is called
a. a vibration.
c. a wave.
b. a medium.
d. a wavelength.
____ 18. Which of the following describes how you can see the mood at night?
a. The sun’s rays diffract around the c. The sun’s rays reflect off the
mood.
moon’s surface.
b. The sun’s rays refract through the d. The sun’s rays are absorbed by the
moon.
moon’s surface.
Short Answer
19. Sometimes when music is played loudly, you can feel your body shake. Explain what
is happening in terms of energy transfer.
Essay
20. When driving at night, explain how you can see the white markers on the road ahead
of you?
21. When a musician pulls the strings of a guitar, what happens to make the sound reach
your ear?
CPU & PET Light & Heat
Answer Section
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. ANS: A
DIF: 1
REF: 1
OBJ: 3
2. ANS: A
DIF: 1
REF: 1
OBJ: 3
3. ANS: C
DIF: 1
REF: 1
OBJ: 3
4. ANS: B
DIF: 1
REF: 1
OBJ: 3
5. ANS: B
DIF: 1
REF: 2
OBJ: 1
6. ANS: C
DIF: 1
REF: 2
OBJ: 2
7. ANS: A
DIF: 1
REF: 3
OBJ: 1
8. ANS: C
DIF: 1
REF: 3
OBJ: 3
9. ANS: B
DIF: 1
REF: 3
OBJ: 3
10. ANS: C
DIF: 1
REF: 2
OBJ: 2
11. ANS: B
DIF: 1
REF: 3
OBJ: 2
12. ANS: C
DIF: 2
REF: 2
OBJ: 2
13. ANS: B
DIF: 1
REF: 3
OBJ: 2
14. ANS: B
15. ANS: C
16. ANS: A
17. ANS: A
18. ANS: C
SHORT ANSWER
19. ANS:
The speakers transfer sound energy in to the air which causes the air to vibrate
which is motion energy. As the energy wave moves through the air to your body,
your body can sense the motion.
ESSAY
20. ANS:
The driver can see the markers on the road ahead because light from the headlamp
goes to the marker. Since the marker is a white, non-shiny surface, the light reflects
in all directions. Because the driver is looking at the marker where the light is
reflecting, he can see the marker. Some of the reflected light from the marker comes
back to the eye.
DIF: 2
REF: 1
OBJ: 2
21. ANS:
When the strings are stretched, they store potential energy. When the strings are
released, the potential energy is converted to kinetic energy which makes the strings
vibrate. The strings transmit some of the KE to the air, which also vibrates. This
energy is transmitted to your ear.
DIF: 3
REF: 1
OBJ: 3