Name: ______________________________________ Date: ________________________

Student Exploration: Energy Conversions

Vocabulary: chemical energy, electrical current, energy, fossil fuel, global warming,
gravitational potential energy, hydroelectricity, kinetic energy, light, nonrenewable resource,
nuclear energy, renewable resource, sound, thermal energy

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

1. What are sources of electricity? List as many as you can. ___________________________

Solar electricity, hydroelectricity, geothermal, and nuclear energy.

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

2. Where do people and other animals get energy to move around? _____________________

humans and animals all get their energy from the foods they eat and the nutrients inside the food.
_________________________________________________________________________

3. Where do plants get energy to live and grow? ____________________________________

get their energy from the sun, water, and carbon dioxide that us humans produce.
_________________________________________________________________________

Gizmo Warm-up
In the Energy Conversions Gizmo, be sure Information
mode is selected. Click on each of the different items in the
scene and read about each one.

1. Which object converts sunlight into sugars?

the corn
__________________________________________

2. Which object converts wind power to electricity?

the wind turbine

__________________________________________

the solar panel

3. Which object converts light to electricity? ________________________________________

light bulb
4. Which object converts electricity to light? ________________________________________

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 Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:
Energy Paths  Select the Path mode.

Question: Where do we get energy to run, climb, play, and do all the other things we do?

1. Form hypothesis: Where do you think we humans get energy? _______________________

since the sun shines down the solar panel and convert into energy giving us light. and the crops will use it.
_________________________________________________________________________
then the crops will be sent to the store where everyone can buy.

2. Create a path: You will now form an energy path to see where our energy comes from.
the food
A. Click on the person and read. Where do people get energy? __________________

the food
B. Now click on the chicken. Where does the chicken get energy? ________________

the sunlight
C. Click on the corn. Where does the corn get energy? _________________________

D. Click on the Sun. How does the Sun get energy? ____________________________

from the hydrogen changed in the helium by the nuclear reaction.

___________________________________________________________________

E. Fill in the energy path below starting with the Sun.

the sun the corn the chicken the person
______________ → ______________ → ______________ → ______________

3. Apply: Click Reset and then click on the toaster. Using the Gizmo, create four energy paths
to explain how the toaster could get its energy. (One path will only have three objects.)

sun
A. ______________ →solar panels
______________ → ______________ → ______________
toaster

sun
B. ______________ air
→ ______________ wind turbine toaster
→ ______________ → ______________

sun
C. ______________ corn
→ ______________ →ethanol plant toaster
______________ → ______________

D. ______________
sun → ______________
water → → ______________
______________toaster
dam

with the sun

4. Analyze: Where does each path begin? _________________________________________

5. Draw conclusions: What would life on Earth be like without the Sun? __________________

Without the Sun's heat and light, the Earth would be a lifeless ball of ice-coated rock.
_________________________________________________________________________

life without the Sun would eventually prove to be impossible to maintain on Earth. Since the sun produces
_________________________________________________________________________
energy for plants to grow.

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 Activity B: Get the Gizmo ready:
Energy  Click Reset.
Conversions  Check that Path mode is still selected.

Question: How is energy changed from one form to another?

1. Classify: Energy is the ability to exert force and cause change. Energy has many forms:
 Kinetic energy is energy of motion. All moving things have kinetic energy.
o Sound is energy of vibrating materials or air molecules.
o Thermal energy is the energy of tiny moving particles. As an object heats up,
particles move faster and thermal energy increases.
 Gravitational potential energy is stored energy that exists based on the position of
an object. The higher an object is, the greater its gravitational potential energy.
 Electrical current is energy that comes from moving charged particles.
 Light is electromagnetic waves that are visible to the eye.
 Chemical energy is energy that is stored in the bonds holding atoms together.
 Nuclear energy is energy released when atoms split apart or join together.

2. Create path: Create an energy path in the Gizmo, starting at the Sun. For each step of the
path, describe the energy conversion that takes place. The first one is done for you. Discuss
your answers with your classmates and teacher.

Energy Path Energy conversion

____Sun_____ Nuclear energy is converted to light and thermal energy.

corn
____________ corn absorbs sunlight producing sugar and oxygen
ethanol plant
____________ since corn is fermented it gives an electrical current

stereo
____________ producer takes electrical current and produce sound

3. On your own: Create at least two more paths on the Gizmo. List the energy conversions that
happen along each path. Record your work on separate paper or in your notebook.

4. Apply: Where in the Gizmo (and in real life) do the following energy conversions occur?

the sun to the ethanol plant to the toaster

Chemical to thermal to electrical current: ________________________________________

air to wind turbine to light

Gravitational potential to kinetic to electrical current: _______________________________

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 Get the Gizmo ready:
Extension:
 Click Reset.
Renewable Energy
 Select the Information mode.

Introduction: Over 80% of our energy comes from the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas,
and coal. Fossil fuels are fairly cheap and plentiful, but there are several problems:
 Fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources. That means there is a limited supply. Once
the world runs out, there is no way to get more.
 Burning fossil fuels adds carbon dioxide to the air. Most scientists agree that this causes
the gradual warming of Earth’s climate, or global warming.

Question: What types of energy do not harm our environment?

1. Describe: Four examples of renewable resources are featured in the Energy Conversions
Gizmo. These resources are produced all the time, so they will not run out. Read about each
energy source, and then explain how each is produced in your own words.

A. Wind power: _________________________________________________________

air would make the turbines to move causing the power.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

B. Water power (also called hydroelectricity): ________________________________

water turns turbines blades. which connects to a generator that produces an electrical current.
___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

C. Solar power: _________________________________________________________

solar panel removes the electrons from the sun. which produces electric current
___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

D. Ethanol: ____________________________________________________________
corn creates ethanol. burning ethanol creates electric current
___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

2. On your own: Learn more about one of these renewable resources using the internet or by
reading library books. Explain its advantages and disadvantages to your teacher and class.
A major advantage of using solar energy is that it is a renewable resource.  Sunlight is a renewable resource
because it is continuously renewed during human lifetimes. hydrogen that feeds the nuclear fusion reactions in the
sun will run out, but that will not occur for another billion years
2019