Student practical P1.

1
Name ...................................................................... Class .................. Date .....................

Energy circus
Specification references
 P 1.1.1 Energy stores and systems, P.1.2.1 Energy transfers in a system
 WS 1.2.

Background
Energy can be stored in different ways, such as chemical energy in fuel, and
elastic potential energy in a stretched spring. Energy can also be transferred from
one store to another, by processes such as heating, light and sound waves,
electric currents, and forces.

Learning outcomes
After completing the practical you should be able to:
 describe energy stores, and say when an energy store is increasing or decreasing
 describe energy transfers, and name processes which make energy transfers happen.

Safety
 At station A, do not drop the block near anyone’s feet.
 At station B, do not touch or move the candle or burner.
 At station D, stop the toy from falling off the bench.
 At station G, do not touch the hot kettle, and do not open it or pour water
from it.

Equipment and materials

In this activity the equipment is already set up for you at each station.

Method and questions

Go to each station, follow the instructions, and answer the questions. When you
leave a station, leave the apparatus as you found it.
1 Wooden block falling onto the floor – making sure that it will not land on anyone’s foot, drop the
block from bench height so that it falls onto the floor.
a Which of the block’s energy stores decreased as it fell?

(1 mark)

b Which of the block’s energy stores increased as it fell?

(1 mark)

c Where did the energy transfer to when the block landed?

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 Student practical P1.1
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(1 mark)

d What processes made this energy transfer happen?

(2 marks)

Extension
e Would the block’s original store of gravitational potential energy have
been larger or smaller if:
i the block had fallen from a greater height?

(1 mark)

ii the block had been heavier (more massive)?

(1 mark)

2 Candle or spirit burner – leave it burning when you leave this station.
a What energy store is decreasing while the candle or burner is burning?

(1 mark)

b Where is energy transferred to while the candle or burner is burning?

(1 mark)

c What processes make this energy transfer happen?

(2 marks)

3 Radio – switch on the radio (and switch it off again before you leave this station).
List the energy transfers which happen while the radio is on, and the
processes which make each of these energy transfers happen.

(5 marks)

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 Student practical P1.1
Name ...................................................................... Class .................. Date .....................

4 Wind-up toy – wind up the toy and then let it run on the bench. Stop it from falling off.
a What energy store increases when you wind up the toy? (Hint: when you wind up the toy, you
tighten up a spring inside it.)

(1 mark)

b What energy store increases as the toy first speeds up, and decreases to zero when the toy
stops?

(1 mark)

c As the toy’s energy stores decrease, where is the energy transferred to?

(1 mark)

d What processes make this energy transfer happen?

(2 marks)

Extension
e Suggest how to change the toy’s design so it has a larger energy
store at the start.

(1 mark)

5 Torch – switch on the torch (and switch it off again before you leave this station).
a What energy store is decreasing while the torch is on?

(1 mark)

b What process(es) make each of these energy transfers happen:

i energy transfer from battery to wires

(1 mark)

i energy transfer from wires to bulb

(1 mark)

ii energy transfer from bulb to surroundings?

(2 marks)

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 Student practical P1.1
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Dynamo connected to a lamp – turn the handle and see what happens to the lamp.
c What energy store is decreasing while you are turning the handle?

(1 mark)

d How could you make this energy store decrease more slowly?

(1 mark)

e What energy transfers happen while you turn the handle?

(4 marks)

6 Kettle – switch on the kettle (and check that it switches off again when the water boils).
a Draw an energy transfer diagram to show the energy transfers while the
kettle is on, and the processes which make each of these transfers happen.
(5 marks)

Extension
b Suggest an energy store which might be decreasing while the kettle is on.

(1 mark)

7 Motor – switch on the motor (and switch it off again before you leave this station).
a Draw an energy transfer diagram to show the energy transfers which happen while the motor
is on. (5 marks)

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Extension
a Explain, in terms of energy transfers, why the motor stops running very soon after it is
switched off.

(2 marks)

Follow-up
Go to the website https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/energy-forms-and-changes
and run the simulation. Click on the ‘Energy Systems’ tab at the top.
The simulation lets you make energy transfers happen by combining different
objects or devices: running water from a tap, the Sun, a kettle, a human on a bike,
a dynamo (controlled by turning a wheel), a solar panel, a water heater, a
lightbulb, and an energy efficient lightbulb.
Create the following combinations of devices. For each one, draw an energy
transfer diagram to show the energy transfers and the processes which make the
energy transfers happen. The first one is started to help you.
1 Sun → solar panel → energy efficient lightbulb. (7 marks)

energy from ________ Energy then

energy transferred by
transferred by transferred by
__________ (and __________)
____________ ____________ to
to ____________ to ____________
____________

8 Water from tap → dynamo → lightbulb. (7 marks)

9 Kettle → dynamo → lightbulb. (8 marks)

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10 Human on a bike → dynamo → water heater. (9 marks)

Extension
11 Click on the ‘Energy symbols’ tick box at the top right of the simulation. You will now see a
model of how energy is transferred through the system. Look at what it shows when you
choose different devices. Evaluate this energy model, suggesting ways in which it could be
helpful or unhelpful to students in understanding energy.

(3 marks)

Going further
Go to the website
http://www.sep.org.uk/archiveXsT099/samples/energynow/student_view.html and
explore the interactive activities about energy transfer devices: ‘Animation 11 [1]’,
‘Animation 11 [2]’ and ‘Animation 11 [3]’.

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