Background Information
• Energy is ability to do work or cause change
8 types of energy
1. potential,
2. Kinetic
3. mechanical,
4. sound,
5. thermal,
6. chemical
7. Radiant (light)
8. Nuclear
9. Electromagnetic
Law of conservation of energy
•Energy can not be created or destroyed,
only changed in form
•Energy conversion occurs when energy
changes from one form to another
Station 1: Radiometer Energy Chain
Materials: Flashlight, radiometer
Directions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Make sure the radiometer is not moving before you begin.
Turn on the flashlight and shine it at the squares inside the radiometer.
Record what you observe.
Starting with the batteries in the flashlight, write out an energy chain for these energy
conversions.
• Energy chain
• Chemical
battery
electrical
light
(radiant)
kinetic
Station 2: Food
Materials: two food boxes
Directions:
1. Find the nutrition label on the sides of the boxes.
2. Answer the questions on your lab sheet.
Chemical energy is found in food
More calories= more energy
less calories= less energy
Station 3: Magnet Maze
Materials: Maze, paper clip, magnet, stopwatch
Directions:
1. Have a partner hold the maze flat in their hands.
2. Place the paperclip at the starting line.
3. Start the stopwatch and time how long it takes to reach the end of
the maze.
4. Answer the questions on your worksheet.
1. Electromagnetic
Kinetic
2. Gravitational Potential energy, Chemical, Nuclear
Station 4: Bouncy Ball Bounce
Materials: bouncy ball, tennis ball, golf ball, meter stick
Directions:
1. Hold the first ball at the top of the meter stick and let it drop.
2. Record the height of its first bounce.
3. Record the height of its second bounce.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 with the other balls.
5. Answer the questions on your worksheet.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Potential and kinetic (thermal)
Example: first bounce 52cm, second bounce 22cm
1 meter
No, the ball did not bounce as high as the starting height
Potential was converted into kinetic and thermal (friction
between ball and floor)
Station 5: Slinky Steps
Materials: Slinky, textbooks
Directions:
1. Construct a set of steps using textbooks.
2. Try to get the slinky to “walk” all the way down the steps.
3. Answer the questions on your worksheet.
Potential and Kinetic
higher the books more energy the slinky will have
Station 6: Energy Examples
Materials: Examples of energy pictures
Directions:
1. Identify the type of energy shown in each picture and record your
answers on your worksheet.
A light and thermal
B Sound electrical
C nuclear
D Potential
E electromagnetic
F light thermal
G chemical
H chemical
Station 7: Energy Ramp
Materials: small and large marble, ramp, meter
stick
Directions:
1. Place the small marble at the arrow on the track and release it.
2. Record where it lands.
3. Form a hypothesis- How can you change the potential energy of the marble to
make it go further? Record your hypothesis.
4. Test your hypothesis and record your findings.
5. Make the first hill higher to increase amount of
energy
Station 8: Newton’s Cradle
Materials: Newton’s Cradle Toy
Directions:
1. Pull back on one ball and release it. Record your observations.
2. Pull back on two balls and release them. Record your observations.
3. Pull back on three, record your observations.
4. Pull back on four, record your observations.
5. Answer the questions on your worksheet.
6. Equal on each side- 1 marble = 1 marble
7. The video below explains further
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LnbyjOyEQ8
Station 9: Energy Acrostic
Materials: Sample acrostic
Directions
1. Form a sentence for each of the letters in the word ENERGY (no one
or two word phrases!)
2. Use the study guide to help you think of ideas.
Station 10: Popping Toys and Fortune Telling Fish
Materials: frog toy, red fish
Directions:
1. Place the frog toy on a flat surface and push down on it until it is
suctioned to the base.
2. Release the toy and record your observations.
3. Hold the fortune telling fish on your outstretched hand.
4. Record your observations
5. Answer the questions on your worksheet.
Fortune fish energy conversion
Thermal to kinetic
Station 11: Making Sparks
Materials: Flint sparkers, goggles
Directions:
1. Put on your safety goggles.
2. Remove papers from the area.
3. Holding the sparker away from your face (not near any other
objects either), squeeze the handle together.
4. Record your observations and answer the questions on your
worksheet.
5. When you squeeze the handle you produce a spark
6. Energy conversion: kinetic
thermal
light
Station 12: Baking soda and vinegar
Materials: Beaker, goggles, baking soda, vinegar,
thermometer
Directions:
1. Goggles on!
2. Pour 20 mL of vinegar into the beaker.
3. Use the thermometer to find the temperature.
4. Record the temperature.
5. Carefully pour in two scoops of baking soda.
6. Observe the reaction and record the new temperature.
7. Answer the questions on your worksheet and clean up your area.
Temperature decreased
Chemical
kinetic
thermal
Station 13: Popcorn Energy Chain
Materials: Picture
Directions:
1. Record the energy conversions involved in making a bowl of popcorn.
Electromagnetic
Sun
kinetic
eating popcorn
chemical
corn plant
Electromagnetic
microwave
Station 14: Practice! Practice! Practice!
Materials: Questions sheet
Directions:
Answer the questions seen at this station on your worksheet.
1. A
2. B
3. A
4. B
5. B
6. C
7. D
8. B
9. A
10. B
11. C
12.D
13.D
14. C
15. D
16. A
17. D