Learning Set 1 • What Is Energy?
1.2 Explore
What Types of Energy
Transformations Occur
in Your Everyday Life?
A kitchen is a great place to find different types of energy transformations
and indicators of them. Many people use a pop-up toaster to make a
warm slice of golden-brown toast to eat with their breakfast. How does
a pop-up toaster transform energy to complete its task? What are the
indicators of a toaster transforming energy? To prepare you to examine
the energy transformed in other everyday devices, you will observe a
toaster demonstration and discuss the energy transformations it shows.
Then you will explore other devices you are familiar with and share with the
class the many kinds of energy transformations and any indicators of them
that you identify.
Many different energy
transformations occur
in a pop-up toaster.
Demonstration
As you observe the pop-up toaster, pay attention to all of the changes that
are occurring. Every change is an indicator of energy transformation. Use
as many of your senses as you can as you observe the toaster. You will not
be close enough to touch or taste anything, but use your other senses.
Make a list of all the changes you identify.
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1.2 Explore
Analyze Your Data
Share your list of changes with your group, and answer these questions.
Be prepared to share your answers with the class.
• What changes did you identify?
• What type of energy was transformed to what other type in each
change you saw?
• What energy transformations can you identify in the toaster? Read
Three Other Types of Energy to help you understand some of the
types of energy you have not seen before in this Unit.
• Which of these indicators show that energy is being transformed?
Describe each energy transformation.
• How would you describe energy based on what you observed in this
demonstration? Use your own words.
Three Other Types of Energy
The toaster uses three types of energy that you have not explored yet in
this Unit. One type is elastic energy. This is the type of energy stored
in a rubber band or a spring. This type of energy can be transformed
into kinetic energy. When a spring or rubber band is stretched and
held motionless, it has elastic energy. Releasing the elastic energy
transforms it into kinetic energy.
elastic energy:
the energy stored
in an object when
the shape of the
object is changed.
A paddleball uses elastic energy. Elastic energy is stored in the rubber band.
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ENERGY
Learning Set 1 • What Is Energy?
Another type of energy is sound energy. Sound energy, like light energy,
moves in waves. Sound waves are vibrations that travel through matter.
You detect sound waves when they strike your eardrum, causing it to
vibrate. Your brain interprets the vibration of the eardrum as sound.
The strings in a harp and a triangle struck by a
wand produce sound energy.
sound energy:
vibrating air that
travels as waves to
your ears.
thermal energy:
experienced as
heat; the energy of
motion of all the
particles in
an object.
A third type of energy is thermal energy. You know that thermal energy
is present when you feel something warm or feel something get warmer.
Thermal energy is energy associated with the motion of particles (atoms
or molecules) in an object. An object that feels hot to the touch has
faster-moving particles than an object that feels cold. The hotter object
has more thermal energy. You will learn more about these types of
energy later in this Unit.
When an electric burner is turned on, it produces thermal energy.
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1.2 Explore
What Types of Energy Play a Role in
Everyday Devices, and What Are Their
Indicators?
You have already begun to identify indicators of many different types of
energy. As you complete this Unit, you will learn more about different
types of energy. In this exploration, you will look for indicators of energy
in everyday objects. Each group will explore and observe a different set
of objects from the list of materials. After your exploration, you will
report back to the class. Organize your observations on your Energy
Observations page.
Materials
• tuning fork and
wooden rod
• scissors with
piece of paper
• wind up toy
• noisemaker
• bouncy ball
• flashlight
• spring with
mass
• suction/pop-up
toy
Procedure
1. List each object you have been given on your
Energy Observations page.
• Newton’s cradle
• yo-yo
2. Operate the object as it was intended
to be used.
3. Record how the object operates and the
energy indicators you observe. Record your
observations about the types of energy present
in the object. If you see a new form of energy,
describe it as best you can. After you learn
about more types of energy, you will return to
this page.
Analyze Your Data
1. What changes did you observe that indicated
the presence of a particular type of energy?
List a change for each object you investigated.
Record it in the Observations column.
2. If you observed changes that you were not
able to link to a type of energy, describe them.
3. What indicators were similar among the
objects you observed? Explain why you think
the indicators were similar.
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Learning Set 1 • What Is Energy?
4. How many types of energy were you able to identify in your objects?
Describe each type of energy, including the indicator or indicators that
allowed you to detect it.
5. What were the most common energy indicators you observed?
Communicate
Investigation Expo
Each group investigated a different set of objects. So that everyone in the
class will experience each of the objects, you will present your objects to the
class and describe how they operate. Before beginning, quickly make a small
poster. It should include
• the information in your chart,
• your list of the forms of energy you identified and the indicators
for each, and
• the most common indicators for your types of energy.
Do not worry if you do not know names of some of the types of energy
you observed.
When it is your group’s turn to present, take turns presenting different
features of each object. Begin by demonstrating how your object
operates. Then,
• identify the changes you observed and the indicators that allowed you
to detect each type of energy,
• share your ideas with the class about the types of energy you saw in
your objects, including any questions you have, and
• present the list of forms of energy and their indicators, and tell the
class which indicators are most common for each form of energy.
As you are listening, note the different types of energy each group has
identified and the indicators for each type. If you do not understand what a
group is presenting, or if you disagree with their conclusions, ask questions.
Remember to be respectful.
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1.2 Explore
After all of the groups have presented their
results and shared their ideas, update your
Energy Types page with all the energy types
you learned about in this Learning Set and in
the presentations. You can revise some of the
information already recorded.
Reflect
At the beginning of this section, you wrote
a description of energy based on what you
observed in the demonstration of the pop-up
toaster. How would you describe energy now
that you have observed the operation of so
many different objects?
Update the
Project Board
As you read about different types of energy,
you probably identified indicators for some of
the types of energy you know about. Record
what you have learned about indicators for
each type of energy in the What are we
learning? column. Record your evidence in the What is our evidence?
column. Use the What do we need to investigate? column to record any
new questions you have about energy and indicators.
Design a Rube Goldberg machine to turn off a light
What do we
think we know?
What do we need to
investigate?
What are we
learning?
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What is our
evidence?
What does it mean
for the challenge or
question?
ENERGY
Learning Set 1 • What Is Energy?
What’s the Point?
Changes are caused by the transformation of energy. Your senses, especially
sight, are valuable in detecting indicators that show different types of energy
transformations. The toaster and the objects you explored transformed
electrical, kinetic, light, elastic, sound, chemical, and thermal energy. You
identified indicators for each of these. Because energy is used everywhere, it
is easy to observe many different energy indicators. Each type of energy is
different from the others. What they all have in common is that they all are
used to produce change.
A fire transforms chemical energy (contained in the fuel) into thermal energy.
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