Energy Transfer Notes
 Energy- Energy is the ability to do work or cause a change.
 Energy can be exchanged or transferred from one form to
another, but it never goes away.
 Investigation 1 – What happens to the light when it strikes the
different colored balloons?
The black balloon became hotter
than the white balloon because more light energy was
absorbed into the darker color and reflected off the lighter
color. Light energy transfers in heat energy.
 Investigation 2 – How is heat produced?
Heat energy can
change the temperature of objects, change matter from one
state to another, and move one object to another by
conduction. Heat energy, due to friction, is produced when
you rub your hands together. The temperature of your hands
increase due to rubbing/friction. The temperature decreases
when you stop rubbing after awhile.
 Know how heat energy is transferred from a candle to a beaker
of water. Heat energy is produced when substances burn,
when certain kinds of materials rub against each other, and
when electricity flows through wires.
 Different kinds of energy: Heat energy, light energy, electrical
energy, chemical energy, solar energy, mechanical energy,
sound energy.
 Investigation 3 – What happens to the temperature
when a hot substance and a cold substance are
combined?
 The addition of ice to hot water resulted in a liquid with a
cooler temperature than the hot water before the ice. Look at
the data in your science journal. The addition of the ice did not
cool the beverage as the heat energy transferred from the hot
water to the cold ice. Heat transfer moves from the warmer
substance or object to the colder substance or object. The
heat energy in the hot water transferred to the ice, as the ice
melted the temperature of the hot water and melted iced
became the same temperature.
 Investigation 4 – What changes can be observed as a result
of electricity? There are 2 types of electricity: static and
current electricity.
 Static Electricity – Static electricity occurs when conditions are
just right for charges in the air to line up and cause an
attraction. It causes an attraction between objects. It can
cause a small shock. Static Electricity is not the form of
electricity that runs appliances.
 Current Electricity - Is converted to heat (hair dryer) or
mechanical energy ( radio, fan, cd player) or light (lamp)
or Magnetism (Computers, TV)
 Lightning is an example of a grand display of electrical energy
in nature.
 Investigation 5 – How do you light a light bulb? The students
learned that the metal tip of the bulb or the side of the metal
bulb base must touch one end of the battery. Then a wire
must touch the other part of the bulb (base or tip) and other
end of the battery for the bulb to light. This is a simple electric
circuit.
 Investigation 6 – What is necessary to have an electrical circuit?
Source – pushes electricity along the circuit (examples:
battery, generator), path – the path carries the electricity
between the source and the load and back. (copper wires)
Load- part of the circuit that uses the electricity to make light,
heat, sound or produce movement or magnetism.
 Investigation 7 – What types of materials are good/poor
conductors of electricity?
 A conductor – A conductor is a material that allows electricity
to flow through it. Metals are examples of good conductors.
 Investigation 8 – How can a switch open and close an electrical
circuit? A switch in an electrical apparatus can open and close
an electrical circuit. If the switch is open, the electric current
stops moving and the circuit is broken. When the switch is
closed, the electric current moves and the circuit is complete.
 An electric circuit must be complete for electricity to move
through it. If the circuit is broken, the electric current will not
move.
 A circuit that is broken or incomplete is called and open
circuit. An open circuit means that there is a gap or opening
somewhere between the source, path, and/or load.
You may also use your science journal to review for the test.
Look over each lesson and conclusion. Also, review the
vocabulary in the back of the science journal.