Q: What is energy?
Energy is the ability to do work.
Q: What is work?
Work is done when a force causes an
object to move.
Q: Potential Energy
The energy of an object due to its
position, shape, or condition
Q: Kinetic Energy
The energy of an object due to the
object’s motion
Q: Elastic Potential Energy
Potential energy that is caused by a
change in the shape of an object
Q: Examples of items with Elastic
Potential Energy
Bow and arrow, Spring, Slinky, Rubber
band
Q: Chemical Potential Energy
Potential Energy that is caused by the
condition of an object
Q: Examples of items with Chemical
Potential Energy
Energy stored in a battery, piece of
wood, or food
Q: Gravitational Potential Energy
Energy an object has because of where it
is in relation to the surface of the Earth.
Q: What two things affect an objects
gravitational potential energy?
How much the item weighs and how
high it is off of the ground.
Q: Examples of items with Gravitational
Potential Energy
A book on a shelf, a box on top of a
building, a pencil on your desk
Q: What is the unit for energy found in
food called?
Calories
Q: What is weight?
Weight is the force of gravity on an
object.
Q: In Science class, what do we use to
measure weight in Newtons?
A spring scale
Q: What do we use to measure how high
something is off of the floor?
A ruler or tape measure
Q: How do we calculate the
Gravitational Potential Energy (GPE) of
an object?
GPE = Weight x Height
Q: What unit do we use for Gravitational
Potential Energy?
The unit we use for GPE is the Joule (J)
Q: All moving objects have what kind of
energy?
Kinetic Energy
Q: How do we calculate how much
Mechanical Kinetic Energy (MKE) an
object has?
MKE = Mass x Speed2
2
Q: What unit do we use for Mechanical
Kinetic Energy?
The unit we use for MKE is the Joule (J)
Q: What are the seven forms of kinetic
energy?
Mechanical, Thermal, Chemical,
Electric, Sound, Radiant (light), and
Nuclear Energy
Q: What is Mechanical Energy?
The energy an object has because of its
motion (kinetic energy) and position
(potential energy)
Q: What is Thermal or Heat Kinetic
Energy?
Thermal or heat energy is the kinetic
energy of a substance’s atoms
Q: What does thermal energy have to do
with whether an object is a solid, liquid,
or a gas?
The atoms in solids do not have a lot of
kinetic energy. The atoms in liquids
have more kinetic energy than in solids.
The atoms in gases have the most kinetic
energy.
Q: What is Electrical Energy
(Electricity)?
It is the energy of moving electrons.
Q: What is Sound or Acoustic Energy?
It is the energy caused by an object’s
vibrations.
Q: Why do we hear a guitar when it is
played?
The vibrating strings cause the air
around the string to vibrate. The
vibrating air travels to your ear. Your
body hears these vibrations as sound.
Q: What are the kinds of energy that
make up the Electromagnetic Scale?
Radio waves, infrared waves, visible
light waves, ultraviolet waves, X-rays,
and gamma rays.
Q: How do we remember the colors of
the rain bow?
ROY G BIV = red, orange, yellow,
green, blue, indigo, and violet
Q: Why does a leaf look green?
The leaf absorbs all of the colors of the
rainbow except green. The green color
is reflected off of the leaf.
Q: Why does something look black?
The black item is absorbing all of the
colors of the rainbow. Wearing
something that is black in the winter
helps you keep warm.
Q: Why does something look white?
The white item is reflecting all of the
colors of the rainbow. Wearing
something white in the summer will help
to keep you cool.
Q: Does light and other radiant energy
need air to travel through like sound
does?
No, light and other types of radiant
energy travel from the sun to the Earth
through space. Space does not have any
air.
Q: What is nuclear energy?
Nuclear energy is the energy that comes
from changes in the nucleus of an atom.
Q: What is fusion?
Fusion = the joining of two atoms’
nuclei. This happens on the sun. It
produces a lot of light and other types of
energy.
Q: What is fission?
Fission = the splitting of an atom’s
nuclei. Fission is used in nuclear power
plants to make electrical energy.
Q: What is another name for the ability
to do work?
Energy
Q: What form of energy runs your TV?
Electrical
Q: What form of energy comes from the
sun?
Radiant
Q: What form of energy powers most
cars, trucks, and busses?
Chemical
Q: What is the Law of Conservation of
Energy?
Energy can not be created or destroyed,
but it can change form.
Q: What is “energy transformation”?
Energy transformation is the change of
energy from one form to another.
Example: When you turn on a flashlight,
you are transforming, or changing, the
chemical potential energy stored in the
battery in to light and heat energy.
Q: Which energy change happens inside
a light bulb?
Electrical energy turns into light energy.
Q: What kind of energy does a battery
store?
Chemical potential energy
Q: What kind of object allows all light to
pass through? (Example: glass)
Transparent
Q: What kind of object allows some
light to pass through? (Example: paper)
Translucent
Q: What kind of object does not allow
light to pass through? (Example: book)
Opaque
Q: What causes a pencil to seem to bend
when you put it in a cup of water?
Light is refracting, or bending
Q: When light bounces off of an object,
we say that the light has _________ off
of the object.
Reflected
Q: What is the speed of light?
186,000 miles / second
Q: How are radiant energy waves
classified?
By wavelength
Q: What is the measure of how hot or
cold an object is?
Temperature
Q: “Heat energy from the sun heats water on
The Water Cycle
Earth’s surface. The heated water evaporates
and the water vapor rises into the air. As the
water vapor rises, it cools and condenses
around dust particles, and returns to Earth
surface as precipitation.” What is this a
description of?
What type of heat transfer can occur
without matter present? Radiation,
convection, or conduction?
Radiation
Q: Heat moves from ______ areas to
______ areas.
Heat moves from warm areas to cold
areas.
Q: A ____ object is one whose atoms
and molecules are excited and show
rapid movement.
A warm object is one whose atoms and
molecules are excited and show rapid
movement.
Q: A ______ object’s atoms and
molecules are less excited and show less
movement.
A cooler object’s atoms and molecules
are less excited and show less
movement.
Q: What is the transfer of energy
through matter from particle to particle?
Example: A spoon handle gets hot after
it is put in a cup of hot chocolate.
Conduction
Q: What do we call an object that
conducts heat well? Example: metal
A conductor
Q: What do we call an object that does
not conduct heat well? Example: a wool
hat, wood, or most fabrics
An insulator
Q: What is the flow of electrical power
or charge called?
Electricity
Q: What kind of electricity is usually
caused when certain materials are
rubbed against each other, like wool on
plastic or the soles of your shoes on the
carpet.
Static Electricity
Q: What are really good at transforming
electrical energy into other forms of
kinetic energy (sound, light, heat)?
We find resistors in radios, light bulbs,
and ovens.
Resistors