Energy
Purpose:Whatisenergy?
BackgroundInformation:
• Energyistheabilitytomakethingsmove.
• Energycanprovideheatandlightortomakemachines
work.
• Energycanbechanged,orconverted,fromoneformto
another.
Reading:
Lookaround.Howmanythingsdoyouseemoving?Isanyoneasleeprightnowinscienceclass?What
makessomethingmove?Whydoesarowboatdriftdownstream?Whydofallenleavesflyaround?What
liftsarocketofftheground?Whycanyouturnthepageofascienceinquiry?
Objectsmovebecauseofenergy.Wesay,therefore,thatenergyistheabilitytomakethingsmove.
Energyisnotlikematter.Matterhasmassandtakesupspace.Energyhasnomassanddoesnottakeup
space.
Therearesevenmainformsofenergy:
1. CHEMICALENERGY-Chemicalenergyiswhatholdstheatomsinmoleculestogether.Itcanbe
releasedbychemicalreactionslikeburningwood.
2. ELECTRICALENERGY-Electricalenergyisthemovementofelectronsthroughmatter.Electricity
isaformofelectricalenergy.
3. THERMAL(heat)ENERGY–Heatenergyistherandommotion,orvibration,ofatomswithin
matter.Thefastertheatomsvibrate,themoreheatenergytheyhave.
4. RADIANT(light)ENERGY–Lightenergyistheenergycarriedbylight.
5. MECHANICALENERGY–Mechanicalenergyistheenergyofmovingthings.
6. NUCLEARENERGY–Nuclearenergyholdsprotonsandneutronstogetherinthenucleusofatoms.
Thisenergypowersthesunandnuclearpowerplants.
7. SOUNDENERGY–Soundenergyvibratesairmolecules.The
vibratingmoleculesmovetinybonesinyourear.The
messageofsoundthenmovestoyourbrain.Thisishowyou
hear.Soundenergycanalsovibrateobjects,likeshatteringa
glasswithahigh-pitchedtone.
TheLawofConservationofEnergystatesthatenergycanbe
changed,orconverted,fromoneformtoanother,whichyou
learnedaboutlastyearin6thgrade.Forexample,thechemical
energyingasolineischangedintoheatenergyintheengineofa
car.Theheatenergyisconvertedintomechanicalenergytomove
thecar.
MatterVs.Energy
Purpose:What’sthedifferencebetweenmatterandenergy?
BackgroundInformation:
• Characteristic:distinguishingtrait,feature,orquality
• Energy:abilitytodowork;abilitytomakethingsmove
• Matter:anythingthathasmassandtakesupspace
(volume)
• Property:characteristic;usedtodescribeasubstance
Reading:
Thinkoftheworldaroundyou…Everywheretherearethings–matter.Yousee,hear,smell,taste,and
feelthem.Theworldhasmanykindsofmatter.Therearewaterandrocks;woodandmetal;plantsand
animals.Eventheinvisibleairyoubreatheismatter.Thelistcangoonandon.
Theworldalsohasenergy–likelight,heat,sound,motion,andelectricity.
Theentireuniverseismadeupofmatterandenergy.THEREISNOTHINGELSE!!
Whatarethedifferencesbetweenmaterandenergy?
MATTER
• Matterhasmass.
• Mattertakesupspace(calledvolume).
Thus,matterisanythingthathasmassandtakesupspace.
ENERGY
• Energyisnotlikematter.
• Energydoesnothavemass.
• Energydoesnottakeupspace.
• EnergyMOVESmatter.
Therefore,energyistheabilitytomakethingsmove.
Light,heat,sound,motion,andelectricity,areformsofenergy.Why?Becausetheycanmakethingsmove.
Thereare7formsofenergy:Chemical,electrical,heat,light,mechanical,nuclearandsound.
Whatareproperties?Propertiesorcharacteristicsarethespecialthingsthathelpusidentifymatter.You
thinkaboutmatterallthetime.Isitredorisitblue?Isitheavyorisitlight?Whatdoesitsmelllike?
Color,mass,andodorarethreepropertiesofmatter.Therearemanymore.
Everykindofmatterhasitsownproperties.Somekindsofmattershareproperties.However,notwo
kindsofmatterhaveallthesameproperties.