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KNOWLEDGE AND
UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE

RGY
A GUIDE FOR TEACHERS

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Y7
INER I .

NATIONAL
r»i inniru u i '•

N09557
NCC is grateful to the staff of the Exploration of Science Team at Durham
University, in particular R. Feasey, A. Brook, R. Gott, P. Johnson and R. Phipps, for
their work on the development of this book. Thanks are also due to the Writing
Working Party: R. Braines (Thorney Close Primary School, Sunderland); E. Carrol
(Glebe Primary School, Cleveland); H. Costello (Staindrop Comprehensive School,
Darlington); S. Cutland (Acklam Grange School, Cleveland); R. Pattison (Thorney
Close Primary School, Sunderland); and members of the Steering Group: Dr S. Gater
(Science Adviser, Sunderland); S. Harrison (Cheveley Park Primary School, Durham);
Dr D. Selby (Glaxo Manufacturing Services, Durham); C. Taylor (Ushaw Moor R.C.
Primary School, Durham); Dr A. West (Hartlepool Power Station), for their help in
the preparation of the book.

NATIONAL

£7rrp
ISBN:1 85838 012 X
First published 1993
Copyright © 1993 National Curriculum Council
Reproduction, storage, adaptation or translation in any form or by any means of this publication is prohibited without prior written permission
of the publisher, or within the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Excerpts may be reproduced for the purposes of
research, private study, criticism or review, or by educational institutions solely for educational purposes without permission providing full
acknowledgement is given.
Printed in Great Britain
The National Curriculum Council is an exempt charity under the Charities Act 1960.
National Curriculum Council, Albion Wharf, 25 Skeldergate, York Y01 2XL
Chairman: Sir Ron Bearing CB
CONTENTS

Introduction 1

Section 1: What is energy? 2

Self-assessment: Part 1 10

Section 2: Energy and ourselves 12

Section 3: Where does our energy come from? 16

Self-assessment: Part 2 20

Section 4: Energy and fuels 22


Section 5: Finding alternatives . 28

Self-assessment: Part 3 30

Section 6: Stretching and lifting 32

Section 7: Energy and movement 39


Self-assessment: Part 4 44

Section 8: Energy and efficiency 47

Section 9: What happens to energy? 50

Self-assessment: Part 5 55
Glossary 57

Resources 59
What the children said 60
INTRODUCTION

This book provides teachers in primary schools with background scientific knowledge
and understanding of energy. After working through the text and completing
assessments successfully, teachers will have covered the aspects of energy described
in the programmes of study for Key Stages 1 and 2 of the National Curriculum
science Order. The purpose of the material is to extend teachers' knowledge and
understanding. It is not suitable for direct use in the classroom.

How can the book be used?


This material is intended for use as part of:
individual study;
staff development sessions;
science INSET courses;
initial teacher education.
It is recommended that where possible the reader carries out the practical activities
designed to support their learning. However, the book has been written to enable
those people without access to equipment to complete the activities. Teachers
needing to refresh their understanding can move quickly through this book by
reading the summaries found in each section.
This book can be used by one person working alone but many teachers find working
with colleagues more rewarding and effective.

The content of the material


Sections
Each section develops teachers' background understanding of different aspects of
energy. Within the book the sections are grouped into two main parts: Sections 1-7
cover Levels 1-5 of the National Curriculum, Sections 8 and 9 cover Levels 6 and 7 of
the National Curriculum. Each section includes tasks, which require teachers to
think about a situation or carry out a practical activity. They are printed on a yellow
background. Summaries, printed on a green background, outline the main points of
the text at strategic positions throughout a section. Resource lists also appear where
applicable.
Self-assessment
The reader is involved in self-assessment with explanations throughout the text. At
key points in the book there are self-assessment sections. The assessment activities
are graded in their complexity. Each activity refers the reader back into the
appropriate sections of the text if difficulties are encountered.
Glossary
The glossary provides a list of technical terms and their meanings. Where these
terms are met in the text for the first time they are in italics and reference could be
made to the glossary.
Resources
To help with planning there is a resources section at the end of the book which lists
the equipment required to carry out the practical activities in each section.
What the children said
This provides comments on children's answers given in Section 1.
SECTION 1: WHAT IS ENERGY?
Everyday ideas about energy may not correspond to an accepted science view.

Task la: What's in a name?


When young children, aged between 6 and 10 years, were asked the question
'What is energy?', most of them expressed ideas related to their own bodies,
food, physical activity, muscles, breath, air, strength, fuels and electricity.
Many of the children's ideas have something in common with the scientific
notion of energy.
'Energy is strength. It makes you run quite fast.' (Katherine, 6)
'Energy is a sort of oxygen what can make you run faster.' (Thomas, 10)
'Energy is a power.' (Neelam, 8)
'Energy comes from power stations.' (Martin, 8)
'Energy comes from protein and vitamins.' (Lai Ghee, 8)
'Energy comes from the Sun.' (Anthony, 8)
'. . . something that keeps you alive, when you run you use it up.' (Kathryn, 10)
'Energy is using electric and keeping fit.' (Lyndsay, 10)
'Energy is electricity.' (Manhinder, 10)
"Energy runs through wires.' (Lee, 10).
I have more than babies.' (Glenn, 10)
Make a note of whether you agree or disagree with each of these ideas.
(Comments are given at the end of the book, page 60.)

Task Ib: What does energy mean to you?


When thinking of energy, a range of meanings might come to mind, some of
which might contradict each other. For example, does exercise 'give' us energy,
or does it 'use up' energy?
Write down what comes to mind when you think about energy. If you need help
in focusing your ideas, look at the group of pictures opposite. For each picture,
write down a word or phrase about energy.
WHAT IS
ENERGY?

Providing 'right' answers here is not straightforward, but the sections which follow
will explore the key ideas in each picture.
Work and energy
/HAT IS
Energy is difficult to define; it is easier to say what energy is not. Energy is not force,
NERGY? or power, or speed, or electricity, although it is associated with all of these things.
Energy is a very difficult idea because we cannot feel, see or measure it directly.
In some everyday contexts, the distinction between words like force, power, strength
and energy is unclear - we use the words interchangably. In science, words need to be
used carefully and appropriately.
One way in which the very abstract idea of energy is linked to the real world is
through the idea of work. Energy is 'ability to do work'. We need to be careful here,
because some of the ways in which we use the word work do not match its meaning in
science. Work is done when something moves because it is pushed or pulled. In other
words, work happens when there is a force and movement.
Work done is calculated by multiplying force by distance moved in the direction of the
force, i.e. work = force X distance. Work done is measured in newton metres (Nm).
Work is done when something moves because a force is acting on it.

We can see that the girl is The crane is lifting the steel
working hard, pushing the block by pulling on the rope.
water out of the way to move
herself down the pool.

The hammer is pushing the The cars are pushing into


pegs into the board as the each other and crumple.
child hammers.

Increasing the force or the distance moved increases the work done. So, for instance,
the cars above have not moved very far, but a large force was involved, and thus a lot
of work has been done.
So what is the connection between work and energy?
Think again about the crane lifting the block of steel.
WHAT IS
ENERGY?

As the block is lifted, it is Then, when the block is


pulled away from the ground, released and hits the ground,
and work is being done. it can act as a pile driver,
doing work on the pile by
pushing it into the ground.

So, we have done work on the


block, and later the block does
work on the pile. But what
happens when the block has
been lifted but has not yet
fallen?
Because the block is not
moving, no work is being
done, but the block has ability
to do work when it does fall.
This ability is what we call
energy.

Take another example - that of a bullet being fired from a gun. Work is done on the
bullet by the explosive in the cartridge, and the bullet does work on the target when
it hits it. In between, while the bullet is moving, little work is done, but the bullet has
energy. The work done by the gunpowder has given the bullet energy and this
enables the bullet to do work on the target.
In both of these examples, the amount of work done at the end of the process is
always less than the amount done at the beginning, because both the falling block
and the bullet do a little work pushing the air out of the way as they move.
At the end of the process the ability to do work has been reduced. The block of steel
cannot push the pile further into the ground, and the bullet cannot push further into
the target. So what has happened to the energy?
Is energy 'used up'?
/HAT IS
NERGY? Most of us have an idea of something' which makes things happen and which is used
up in the process. Can we call this something energy?
In science, the answer must be 'No'. There is a law of nature called conservation of
energy that is always obeyed. This law says that there is an amount called total
energy which never changes.
Think about a board game, such as Monopoly , where money can be used for buying
and selling. The money is transferred between players and the bank, but the total
amount circulating is always the same. If at the end of the game all the players add
up their cash, the total should be the same as at the beginning, although it may be
distributed differently. The same applies to energy. It may move around, but we
should always be able to account for all that we started with.
Another practical analogy might help.

Task Ic: Richard's br-icks


Look at the two pictures, which show Richard playing with his building bricks.
In the first picture he has 16 bricks, in the second only 12. Can you suggest
what might have happened to the missing bricks?
WHAT IS
ENERGY?

Task Ic continued

To find out where the building bricks have gone, we need to look for the differences
between the two pictures. Some are easy to see; the lump under the rug, for instance,
suggests that one of the bricks is there, and the open window might mean that one
has been thrown outside. Other changes are less obvious - the rise of the water level
in the fish tank, for example.
That leaves just one brick missing. Its whereabouts are not at all obvious, until we
notice that the toybox has been closed and locked. If we cannot open the box, how can
we know whether the brick is there? Difficult, but if we happened to know the mass
of the box before Richard started playing, and subtracted it from the present mass,
we should find a difference equal to the mass of one brick.
So we have located all the bricks, some more easily than others, and Richard can
rebuild his tower. In the same way, we should be able to locate all of the initial
energy, whatever changes might have happened, but there is one important
difference. If is never possible to get all of the energy back in one place so that we can
start again as though nothing has happened.
If you find this idea difficult, imagine that Richard was even more careless with his
bricks. He might hide one in the dustbin, drop one out of a moving car window, or
leave one at the park. Although the missing bricks would not have disappeared, as
far as Richard was concerned they would be lost, and he would have fewer bricks
with which to build his tower. In the case of energy, no matter how careful we are to
transfer it to where we want it, the energy available for use at the end of a process is
always less than at the beginning.
Recognising energy transfer
/HAT IS
If we cannot see the energy, how do we know that it has moved around, and how can
NERGY? we tell where it has gone?
In the same way that we looked for 'before and after' differences to find Richard's
bricks, we need to look for change as evidence of energy transfer.

Task Id: Transferring energy


Make a note of the changes illustrated by each of the pictures below.

© <D

Task Id: Suggested solutions


Bonfire - change in temperature.
Aeroplane - change in speed (increase on take-off, decrease on landing).
Baking - change in substance.
Radio change in sound or volume.
Catapult change in shape.

Any change has an amount of energy associated with it, and we can calculate the
amount of energy transferred by measuring the changes which happen, such as
increase in temperature.
Just as different countries have different currencies, energy values can be given in
different units. Most of us are familiar with calories, for example, used as a way of
allocating energy values to foods. Scientists usually use just one unit to describe
amounts of energy: the joule (J). One joule is a very small amount of energy, and most
calculations usually give energy in kilojoules (kJ), where 1 kJ is 1000 J.
Energy quantities
WHAT IS
The joule is defined in terms of ability to do work. It is the energy transferred when a
force of 1 newton is exerted over a distance of 1 metre. Thus 1 J = 1 Nm. ENERGY?

SUMMARY
• Energy is the ability to do work.
• Energy is conserved; at the end of a change all the energy present at the
beginning can be accounted for but we cannot get all the energy back in one
place to repeat the change.
• Energy is calculated in joules (J).
SELF-ASSESSMENT: PART 1

Assessment Task 1
In which situation(s) below is work being done?

(a) (b)

(e)
ANSWERS
SELF-
Assessment Task 1 ASSESSMEN'
(a), (c) and (e) PART1
Remember, you need a force and a distance to give a transfer of energy. For the
clothes on a coathanger a force is needed to keep the clothes up in the air, but
that force is not moving anything so there is no work done and no transfer of
energy. For the satellite, there is movement but no force in the direction of that
movement (along the circle of the orbit).
Section 1, pp.4 and 5
SECTION 2: ENERGY AND OURSELVES

Energy is transferred from food to our bodies.


Different foods make different amounts of energy available for transfer.
People of different sizes, ages and gender have different daily energy requirements.

Resources
A selection of food packets
You may also find a calorie counter book useful

Energy transfers take place in all living things. For


humans, as for all animals, the body needs to be
supplied with food so that the processes which keep
us alive can take place. The food we eat supplies
the raw materials which enable us to grow,
reproduce and repair damage to our bodies, and is
also used to provide us with energy.

Task 2a: Controlling energy input


A food's energy value gives us some indication of the amount of energy that can
be transferred when it is digested.
Try to find examples of packaging of a range of foods from the list below. Most
pre-packaged foods now have labels showing their energy values in both
kilocalories (kcal) and kJ. These may give you a clue as to the highest and
lowest energy values.
Diet books often refer to Calories (with a capital 'C'). 1 Calorie = 1000 calories =
1 kilocalorie. 1 calorie = 4.2 joules.

Baked beans Carrots Jam Rice


Beefburger Chocolate Lettuce Peanuts
Beer Cucumber Margarine White bread
Butter Crisps Milk Yoghurt
Canned fish Lemonade Pasta

If you check the data on all the packages listed above, you should find the three
highest and three lowest energy values, in kJ per 100 grams (g), as shown in the
diagrams below.

3IIO 307O

2.0
Being aware that different foods can be used to provide us with different amounts of
energy enables us to match our diets to our energy needs. However, eating a healthy ENERGY AND
diet is not simply a matter of adding up the joules. Foods are made up of
carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals, vitamins, fibre and water. All of these
OURSELVES
constituents are essential but usually only carbohydrates and fats are used for energy
transfer. Protein in food can also be used to provide energy, but is more likely to be
used to build and repair body cells, for which it is essential.

Task 2b: What do we eat?


The information below is taken from a pre-packed meal of lasagne, a small
chocolate cake and a soft drink. What is the total energy value of the meal?
How much fat does the meal contain? How much carbohydrate?

Lasagna Cake Drink


Nutritional per 283kg per 1/6 per 250ml
information pack cake serving

Energy 348 kcal 253 kcal 122 kcal


1469 kJ 1057 kJ 512 kJ
Protein 20.7 g 2.9 g 0.5 g
Carbohydrate 38.2 g 31.1 g 30.0 g
of which sugars 5.7 g 23.9 g 30.0 g
Fat 15.0 g 13.8 g 0.8 g
of which saturates 6.8 g 7.2 g Trace
Sodium l.lg 0.12g Trace
Dietary fibre 2.8 g 0.47 g 0.8 g

Only about one-third of the mass of the meal is 25% CARBOHYDRATE


solid material. Of this, the largest constituent is
carbohydrate, followed by fat, which accounts for 8% FAT
less than a tenth of the total mass.

PROTEIN
63% WATER
So, although cai-bohydral.es can supply less than half as much energy per gram as
fats, because we eat more of them they are used to provide a large proportion of the
energy that enables us to move and keep warm. Foods rich in carbohydrates include
starchy (bods, such as bread, pasta and rice, and also sugary foods such as jam and
fizzy drinks. In Britain these are the main sources of energy in our diet, together with
meat and dairy produce.
What happens to food in the body?
ENERGY AND
When carbohydrates are broken down by the process of digestion, simple sugars, such
OURSELVES as glucose, are formed. Like the sugar we put in tea, glucose dissolves in water and
can thus be dissolved in the bloodstream, together with dissolved oxygen from the air
we breathe, and carried to where it is needed in the body.
Energy is usually transferred in the cells of the body when simple sugars, such as
glucose, react with oxygen. This process happens in the body in stages, transferring
energy from food gradually but constantly, as it is needed to balance energy
transferred from the body for things such as movement and keeping warm.

SUMMARY
• The processes which keep us alive involve energy transfer.
• Carbohydrates and fats are energy providers for animals.
• Some foods can be used to provide more energy than others.
• In humans, energy is usually transferred when the constituents of food react
with oxygen.

Task 2c: How much energy do we transfer?


Food requirements vary, not only from species to species, but also within
species. Each person is an individual, and the energy input needed depends on
the energy output, which can change from day to day.
List the people below in order of daily energy requirements. What factors affect
the amount needed?
15-year-old girl
30-year-old postman (active)
4-month-old baby
15-year-old boy
8-year-old boy
30-year-old male taxi driver (inactive)
23-year-old pregnant woman
75-year-old man
Although daily energy requirements vary greatly from one person to another,
we can make broad estimates for the people above, in kJ.
30-year-old postman (active) 14 000
15-year-old boy 11 500
30-year-old male taxi driver (inactive) 11 000
23-year-old pregnant woman 10 600
15-year-old girl 9600
75-year-old man 9000
8-year-old girl 8500
4-month-old boy 3300
How do you account for the difference in energy needs between the taxi driver
and the postman?
The baby has a mass of 8 kg and the postman has a mass of 80 kg. Calculate
their energy requirements per kg. How do you account for the difference?
Energy for activity
ENERGY AND
Some of the processes which involve energy transfer in our bodies enable muscles to
contract, allowing us to move around. As we might expect, a major influence on the OURSELVES
amount of energy transferred is the extent to which a person is physically active.
Compare the daily energy requirement for a bicycle-riding postman with that of a
taxi-driver of similar age. The difference - 3000 kJ - is equivalent to a substantial
extra meal every day!

Even when we are resting, energy transfer is


involved in maintaining vital processes, primarily
in keeping our internal body temperature at around
37 degrees Celsius (°C). This is the temperature at
which body cells function most effectively, and a
variation of only a few degrees in the core of the
body can prove fatal. Our basic energy requirement
reduces with age, as can be seen by comparing the
taxi driver and his 75-year-old father, who may
have similar levels of physical activity.

Some energy is transferred from the body to the cooler surroundings. So in fact, even
if a man slept all day, he would still transfer around 6500 kJ of energy (4500 kJ for a
woman).

Energy for growth


As we grow, a lot of energy is transferred in the process of changing plant and animal
protein in the food we eat into our own body tissue, such as muscle and bone. A baby
has a much greater daily energy requirement than the postman (412.5 kJ per kg
compared to 175 kJ per kg) because energy is required for growth, and the baby is
growing rapidly. Although cell replacement in the body continues to require energy
transfer throughout our lives, growth in humans happens for a limited period, until
our early twenties. However, even when growth has finished we can put on weight
when we eat too much, because after digestion has taken place, any excess 'energy
provider' chemicals are stored, mainly as fat.

Gender difference
This is a loss obvious, but none the less important, influence on daily food
requirement. Men usually transfer more energy than women because they tend to be
heavier and require more energy to be transferred when they move. They also tend to
have a higher proportion of muscle tissue and less fat, which means that they are less
insulated and transfer more energy whilst maintaining body temperature. Thus a 15-
year-old boy transfers around 3000 kJ more energy daily than a girl of similar age.

SUMMARY
• The amount of energy transferred in the body is influenced by age, size, gender
and level of physical activity.
• A large proportion of the energy transferred in humans is used to maintain body
temperature.
SECTION 3: WHERE DOES OUR ENERGY
COME FROM?
Plants produce food from raw materials in their environment.
Energy is transferred when living things die and decay.

All animals depend, directly or


indirectly, ou plants for the
food which is used to provide
energy. Human diet usually
includes a mixture of plant and
animal material, but the
animals we eat also depend on
plants for food.

Most of the energy transferred in humans is used for movement, cell replacement and
to maintain body temperature. Energy transfer is involved in growth only for a
limited period. In the case of plants, little energy is transferred to movement, and
temperature is largely dependent, on the temperature of the surroundings, so energy-
transfer is not involved in maintaining their temperature. However, growth
continues? through a plant's life, accounting for most of its energy requirement.

Task 3a: What do plants need for growth?


In both plants and animals, energy is usually transferred when simple sugars
"react with oxygen. Animals eat food to provide these simple sugars, but plants
do not tate in. any energy providers in the form of carbohydrates or fat, so
where does their energy come from?
Children in a class planted 100 barley
seeds in a transparent plastic pot on
Monday morning. When they had watered
the seeds, they covered the pot loosely
wiith clingfilm, so that it was watertight,
Tbxit not airtight, them measured its mass.
They measured the mass again at daily
intervals for nine days.
The children expected the total mass to
stay the same,
Wemltl yam agree with this prediction?
Below are the data the children collected. WHERE DOE,
Day of the week Mass (in g)
OUR ENERGY
Monday (seeds planted) 62 COME FROM
Tuesday 62
Wednesday 65
Thursday 65
Friday 65
Saturday Not measured
Sunday Not measured
Monday 66
Tuesday 66

Where did the extra mass come from?


Task 3a continued

Whereas animals break down carbohydrates in food into simple sugars, like glucose,
which can react with oxygen to transfer energy, plants manufacture glucose from raw
materials in their environment, through the process of photosynthesis.

In this process, the plant absorbs carbon dioxide


from the air into its leaves, where it reacts with
water which has been drawn up the stem from its
roots. In this way, plants manufacture simple
sugars: they make their own food supply. In most
plants during photosynthesis, the sugars produced
are converted to starch and stored temporarily in
the leaves of the plant. When the process stops,
usually in the hours of darkness, starch is
converted back to sugar, which can be transported
for use elsewhere in the plant.

In animals, when glucose reacts with oxygen, energy can be transferred to the cells of
the body. In plants, manufacturing simple sugars requires an external energy source;
it can only happen in the presence of light. Chlorophyll, the pigment which makes
plants green, absorbs energy from sunlight, enabling photosynthesis to happen.
Some of the energy is transferred to the body of the plant as it grows, and is available
for transfer when the plant is eaten.
In the case of the barley, transfer of water from the pot to the plant made no
difference to the total mass. The barley seedlings gained mass because the plants
absorbed carbon dioxide from the air to make sugar.

SUMMARY
• All animals depend, directly or indirectly, on plants for food.
• In plants, energy is transferred mainly for growth.
• Green plants make simple sugars from water and carbon dioxide, using
energy transferred by sunlight.
WHERE DOES Task 3b: Energy and decay
OUR ENERGY Energy can be transferred from the bodies of plants and animals when they are
COME FROM? eaten by other animals, but what happens to the energy when dead plants and
animals are simply left to decay?

A mini compost heap was made in a vacuum


flask as shown in the picture. Vegetable VACUUM COTTON
peelings were used as a starter material. FI.ASK WOOL

The initial temperature was recorded, then


checked every 12 hours for 10 days.
Note: This activity should not be used in
classrooms because of the dangers of
microbial activity.
VEGETABLE
PEEUNCS
THERMOMETER

When the results had been collected, the


Time elapsed
table of temperature and time looked
in hours Temp. C
something like that opposite.
0 18
12 20
24 23
36 26
48 29
60 33
72 40

How can you account for the changes in temperature? What has happened to
the energy 'locked' in the vegetable peelings?

When plants and animals die, the material of their bodies is decomposed by microbes,
such as bacteria tiny organisms which feed on plant and animal remains. The
microbes change dead matter into simple substances which they use to transfer
energy for growth and reproduction, as animals use food. This process also heats the
surroundings, in the same way that food enables us to keep warm. Part of the process
of breaking down the dead materials results in the release of the minerals into the
soil. Plants need these nutrients to grow. Thus minerals from dead plants and
animals are made available for growth of new plants.

Following the energy chain


The most important source of energy for living things on Earth is the Sun. Sunlight
transfers millions of kilojoules of energy to the Earth's surface every second, and all
living things are part of an energy chain which starts with energy from the Sun.
Energy is transferred from their bodies when they are used as food, either by animals
or by microbes in the soil.
So what happens as energy from the Sun is transferred - how much of the initial
input is available at the end of the energy chain?
Task 3c: Energy transfer WHERE DOES
The picture below shows the energy transfers involved in farming cows to OUR ENERGY
produce meat. Which of the energy transfers are useful for producing meat?
COME FROM?
KtET.3 PtAWTS AUV£

SToAED

MEATS THE" EARTH

VAfo£lSE5 WATER

Try to produce another energy transfer chain - this time for a fish.

Plants use only a very small fraction of the energy available to them from sunlight,
transferring it to the material from which their stems, roots, leaves and fruits are
made. When animals eat plants, they are unable to make use of all the material;
some of it is indigestible and passes out of their bodies as waste. Most of the energy
transferred to the animal when it eats is used to maintain body temperature and for
movement. Relatively little is locked up in the animal's body tissue as it grows.
In fact, less than one thousandth of the energy available from the Sun is made
available to humans in meat.

SUMMARY
• Dead material is decomposed by microbes, which use it as an energy source in
the same way that we use food.
• Energy can be transferred from plants when they are used as food by animals.
• Only a small part of the energy from the Sun reaches the end of the energy
chain.
SELF-ASSESSMENT: PART 2

Assessment Task 2a
The human body maintains its temperature to within a degree or so of 37°C.
Since body temperature is usually well above room temperature, there is a nett
transfer of energy from the body and the room is warmed up very slightly.
When we exercise our bodies get hotter and we need to transfer energy from
them more quickly. The body does this by sweating. Evaporation of the sweat
cools the body quickly. In very cold weather the problem is usually the
opposite: we need to transfer energy at a slower rate to keep the body at 37"C.
(a) From where is the energy transferred that causes a person to get hotter
during exercise?
(b) Hypothermia results from excess cold. How does lack of food make things
worse?
(c) Will a sauna help you lose weight? Explain your answer.

Assessment Task 2b
For each component of a breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast, produce a flow
diagram which traces the energy transfers from the Sun.
ANSWERS
SELF-
Assessment Task 2a ASSESSMEN1
(a) Energy transferred from food to the muscles results in movement and PART 2
heat.
(b) Food is burned in the muscles and liver, so warming the body. Lack of
food, therefore, results eventually in failure of the body to maintain its
temperature.
(c) A bit, but not much. You lose water as sweat as your body tries to cool
itself.
Sections 2 and 3, pp.12, 16 and 19

Assessment Task 2b
Sunlight —>• plant material —^- pig —>• bacon
Sunlight —>- corn —^- hen —*- eggs
Sunlight —>- wheat —>- bread —>• toast

Sections, pp. 18 and 19


SECTION 4: ENERGY AND FUELS

Energy can be transferred from fossil fuels by electrical means.


Electrical appliances transfer energy at different rates.
Energy is usually transferred from plants' and animals' bodies when the material
from which they are made reacts -«'ith oxygen. This can happen when the material is
used as food, but the energy is also transferred when the material is used as a fuel,
usually by burning it in air.
Most of the fuels we use are fossil fuels: they come from material which was once
alive. Coal, for example, is made from the remains of plants growing around 350
million years ago.

Task 4a: Choosing fuels


How do we choose fuels to suit particular purposes? What factors influence our
choice? Take the example of selecting the best single energy source from those
shown below for heating a room in a terraced town house. To keep the room at
a comfortable temperature the fuel needs to transfer about 50 000 kJ of energy
into the room every day.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option? Make a note of
your suggestions.

Natural gas Coal

Wood Fuel oil


The table of data below may help you to make your decision. ENERGY AN!
Energy source Approximate cost
FUELS
Approximate energy
in pence value in megajoules (MJ)
Coal 12 per kilogram (kg) 30 per kg
Natural gas 17 per cubic metre (m) 40 per cubic m
Wood Variable - could be free 14 per kg
Fuel oil 13 per litre (1) 43 per 1

1 megajoule = 1000 kJ = 1 000 000 J.


Would your choice be different if the room was in one of these below? Why?

a aaoo
0*000
a a aa a
aoaan
a a oO a
aaaao
aooou if
a a a an ui u i—i
oaaaa DO a
oaoaa ao a
mttif aa pjau an 0 W

A tenth floor apartment An isolated cottage A tent


Task 4a continued

The biggest single influence on fuel choice must be availability. This may not be a
factor for the town centre terraced house, but would be important for both the
isolated cottage and the tent, where natural gas would probably not be an option.
Cost and convenience are often balanced in making a choice from the available fuels.
Wood could be the cheapest energy source; it may be free for the cottage and the tent,
but it needs to be transported and stored, is difficult to light and produces a lot of
smoke when it burns. Coal has similar disadvantages of transport and storage, and is
also difficult to light and burn cleanly. Oil is easier to light, but tends to be expensive,
and, again, needs to be transported and stored. In fact, of all the fuels shown, only
natural gas is piped directly into our homes, avoiding storage problems.
Environmental concerns may also influence our choice of fuel; many areas are now
designated smokeless zones, for example. All fossil fuels release gases into the
atmosphere when burned, and are non-renewable.

SUMMARY
• Most fuels are the remains of dead plants and animals.
• Energy is transferred when fuels react with oxygen by burning.

Concentrating the energy


Until about 300 years ago, wood was the most commonly used fuel in Britain, but
when coal became available, use of wood declined. The main reason for this change is
that burning coal transfers about twice as much energy as burning an equal mass of
wood. Burning 1 kg of coal transfers about 30 MJ of energy; burning 1 kg of wood
transfers about 14 MJ.
Since coal and wood are both based on plant material, why should they have such
different energy values?
When the plants from which coal was formed were
ENERGY AND growing, much of the Earth was covered in densely
FUELS wooded swamps. When plants died they were
buried under plants growing above them and were
trapped in layers of mud.
Millions of years ago, lack of dissolved oxygen and
the acidity of the water meant that microbes were
unable to function; the normal decay process could
not take place, nor could energy transfer.

As more and more dead material accumulated, together with mud and other
sediment, the deepest layers were compressed, squeezing out most of the water and
leaving a residue in the form of coal, which has a higher energy value than the-
original plant material because it is mainly carbon.
A similar process in the oceans is thought to have formed oil and natural gas from
marine organisms. Some of these pockets are still under the ocean door, but oil and
gas can also be found underground in areas of the world which were once covered by
sea. such as Texas and the Middle East.

Using fuels
When fuels are burned, the energy transferred can only be used directly for heating,
and so their usefulness is limited by this. We need ways of transferring energy from
fuels to operate appliances such as televisions, video recorders and freezers, as well
as cars, buses and trains.

Fuels for transport


The internal combustion engine provides a means of transferring energy from
petroleum fuels to movement. It was developed towards the end of the last century,
and its increasing use accounts for most of the increase in use of oil this century.

Most engines 'burn fuel in an enclosed chamber. As FUEL


the fuel bums it. produces gases which expand,
moving a piston. The expanding gases do work on
the pistons so moving them and, in consequence,
the vehicle. Some of the fuel's energy has now been
transferred to enable the vehicle to move. Much of INLET EXHAUST

it, is heating up the engine, the water in the cooling


system and, eventually, the air.

"fk-mnsferrimg energy electrically


Electric current is not a fuel, but it is a convenient way of transferring energy from
fuel to the machines we rely on in our day to day lives.
Think about what happens when water in a kettle is heated. As. the water boils,
water vapour escapes through the kettle spout. This moving vapour has energy, but
in this case we cannot transfer it to do work.
Power stations use fiae!s to heat, water to produce moving steam which is forced along
pipes to turbines. As the steam passes through the turbine blades it causes them to
spin and, as they spin, they drive electrical generators.
FUELS AND
ENERGY

Generators work in a similar way to a dynamo on a bicycle, where the wheel


movement causes sufficient voltage to be generated to light the bicycle lamps. In the
case of a power station, enough voltage is generated to light several million domestic
light bulbs.
In this way energy is transferred from the fuel to movement of the turbines and from
the turbines to the generator. The generator transfers energy electrically to homes.
This process can only work well if we use a fuel with a high energy value. Power
stations in Britain burn vast quantities of coal, oil and gas every day.

SUMMARY
• Fuels vary in their energy values.
• Fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) tend to have high energy values.
• Engines and turbines enable us to transfer energy from fuel to movement.

Task 4b: How much energy is transferred?


The pictures which follow show activities involving six household appliances.
List the activities in order of the amount of energy transferred.

0 0

Drilling a hole in wood for 30 Baking a cake for 40 minutes


seconds
ENERGY AND
FUELS

Mowing the lawn for half an Heating water in a kettle for


hour five minutes

Lighting a room for six hours Listening to the radio for an


hour

Task 4b continued

Different machines transfer energy at different rates, and to work out the energy
transferred we need to know both the time for which the appliance was used and the
rate of transfer. The power of a machine, in watts (W), indicates the amount of energy
transferred in a particular length of time - one second. A machine which has a power
of one watt transfers one joule of enei'gy every second that it is used, i.e. 1W = U/s.
Power = energy transferred + time for transfer.
Use the data below to work out how much energy is transferred in each of the
activities, and compare with your predictions.

Appliance Power in W ( J/s) Time taken for activity


in seconds
Drill 400 30
Kettle 1500 300
Lamp 60 21600
Lawnmower 500 1800
Oven 3000 2400
Radio 16 3600

You should find that baking a cake transfers by far the most energy, and drilling the
holes transfers least. Are the results as you expected?
Most of the machines in your home will have their power ratings indicated in
kilowatts (kW), where 1 kW = 1000 W = 1 kJ/s.
Try looking at a few more appliances and comparing the ratings. Which transfer most
energy per second? You could try a toaster, television, vacuum cleaner, electric ENERGY AN
shower.
FUELS
Appliances vary in design, but some approximate values are shown below.

Shower 7kW Toaster IkW Vacuum cleaner 600W

Food mixer 400W Television 120W Low energy bulb 11W

Notice that most of the high to medium rated appliances are designed to heat their
surroundings, whereas most of the medium to low rated appliances operate at lower
temperatures. The amount of energy needed to increase temperature by even a small
amount is much greater than the amount needed to produce a bright light or loud
sound, or even to move a heavy object.

SUMMARY
• Electric current is a means of transferring energy from power station generators
to the electrical appliances we use.
• The power of a machine is the rate at which it transfers energy.
• A large energy transfer is needed to produce only a small increase in
temperature.
SECTION 5: FINDING ALTERNATIVES

Fossil fuel supplies are non-renewable.


Some energy resources are renewable.
Even in areas of the world where keeping warm during- the day is not a problem,
people need fuel. Most of the world's population still depends on wood as an energy
source, and in some parts of Africa wood supplies 90','f of energy needs. A tree may
take 30 years to produce one tonne of firewood which may only last a few weeks, and
in some areas of the developing world, families cope with a daily fuel crisis as they
gather the fuel they need to survive from dwindling resources.
A similar, but potentially more serious, crisis exists in our exploitation of fossil fuels.
Whereas wood is a renewable source of energy, the conditions under which coal, oil
and gas were formed over millions of years only exist in very limited areas of the
world. Thus, when supplies are exhausted they cannot easily be replenished - fossil
fuels are effectively non-renewable.
The developed world currently accounts for about SO'.'f of the world's total fuel
consumption, and the fuel needs of industrialised countries are steadily increasing.
Even at current rates of use, oil and gas reserves are expected to be effectively
exhausted within the next 50 years, and coal within three centuries. If developing
nations achieve the level of fuel use that developed countries already take for
granted, we could run out of fossil fuels even sooner.

Task 5: Alternative energy sources


The energy crisis — or fossil fuel crisis — has no easy solution, but many
possibilities have been suggested, some of which are pictured below.
For each alternative, make notes on the advantages and disadvantages. Some
suggestions are given opposite.

Solar power Geothermal power Hydroelectric power

Tidal power Wind power Nuclear power


Task 5: Some suggestions FINDING
Source of energy Advantages
ALTERNATIVE
Disadvantages
Solar power The Sun transfers many Our daily hours of sunlight
millions of joules of energy vary throughout the year.
to the Earth's surface
We need to store the
every second.
energy received for 24-
Solar panels for heating hour use.
water use simple
inexpensive technology.
Geothermal power Not likely to be exhausted Practical only in areas of
in the near future. the world where the crust
is thin, such as Iceland.

Hydroelectric Can transfer energy more Large areas of land above


power cleanly than fuel-burning the dam are often flooded,
power stations. and the river cannot be
used for other purposes,
such as transport.
Can make a sizeable
contribution to energy
supply only in
mountainous areas.

Tidal power Water flow in rivers and Can involve flooding areas.
estuaries can be predicted.
Affects habitat and
wildlife.
Wind power An effective source where Wind cannot be used to
air flow is relatively transfer energy
unrestricted. continuously.
Distribution to users is
expensive.
Nuclear power Supplies of uranium are Highly radioactive
unlikely to be exhausted material is produced as a
for many thousands of result of the process, and
years. this is difficult and
expensive to dispose of
safely.

SUMMARY
• Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy sources.
• Energy can be transferred from moving air and water to drive generators.
SELF-ASSESSMENT: PART 3

Assesstnent Task 3a
(a) What is meant by renewable and non-renewable energy sources?
(b) Give three examples of each.

Assessment Task 3b
The diagram below suggests a hypothetical scenario.
Use the diagram to answer the following questions.
(a) Suggest the different ways people in the village could use the local
resources to supply their energy needs, indicating which are renewable
and which non-renewable.
(b) Complete the table.

Energy resource Advantages Disadvantages


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
ANSWERS

Assessment Task 3a
(a) Renewable - the source of the energy is replaced at least as quickly as the
fuel is used up.
Non-renewable - the source is not replaced as quickly as the fuel is
used up.
(b) Renewable - wind, tides, waves.
Non-renewable - oil, coal, gas.
Sections 4 and 5, pp.23, 28 and 29

Assessment Task 3b
(a) Renewable Non-renewable
Tides Coal
Wind Gas
Wood Oil
Lake
Section 5, pp.28 and 29
(b)

Energy resource Advantages Disadvantages


1. Tides Effective renewable "| Variable with weather
source 1 conditions
2. Wind Effective renewable 1
source •*
3. Wood High energy value Large amount of land
and renewable required
4. Lake Transfers energy more Flooding of a valley
cleanly than coal fired necessary, with
power stations environmental
consequences
5. Coal ^1 All locally available Are not clean
All high energy fossil burning and are
6. Gas ?•
fuels non-renewable
7. Oil *

Sections 4 and 5, pp.23, 28 and 29


SECTION 6: STRETCHING AND LIFTING

Energy is transferred when we st?-etch or squash elastic materials.


Energy is transferred when we lift objects.

Resources
A selection of clockwork, spring and rubber band toys
A piece of wood with two nails (for catapult)
A piece of card
Three rubber bands of the same length
A small toy car
A tape measure
A glass marble and a ball-bearing of equal diameter
A tray (e.g. seed tray) containing a 5 cm layer of damp sand
Pushing and pulling can result in objects changing shape. In some cases, the object
stays in its new shape, like plasticine, until it is pushed or pulled again. Some
materials, however, tend to return to their original shape when released, like rubber.
Stretched or squashed materials can do work; when they are released energy is
transferred.
Remember that in Section 1 energy was desci'ibed as ability to do work, and the
amount of work done (and energy transferred) depends on the force and the distance
moved in the direction of the force. The link between work and energy is more
obvious here than in any of the other processes we have considered.

Task 6a: Storing energy


Look at a range of children's toys which store energy in stretchy material.
Some examples are shown in the following pictures.
For each of the examples, how is energy transferred to the toy and how is the
energy stored?
STRETCHIN
AND LIFTIN

Task 6a continued

In each of the above examples, energy is transferred to the toy by doing work on it.
The work done in transferring energy to the toys is stored until the toys are released
and they do work themselves.
Most of the toys rely on springs to store energy. The clockwork toys contain coiled
springs, which are tightened as they are wound.
The jack-in-a-box and pinball machine contain springs which are simply compressed
by closing the lid of the box, or expanded by pulling back the pinball plunger. The
ruler catapult also behaves as a spring. Energy can be transferred to a ruler by
bending it. On release this energy enables it to move.
For the balloon rocket, as the balloon is inflated, energy is transferred into the rubber
by doing work to stretch it, and into the air by doing work to compress it. In the case
of the cotton reel tractor and the catapult, energy is transferred to the rubber bands
by doing work to extend them. When the toys are released, the bands return to their
original lengths and, as they do so, transfer energy to the toys, so enabling them to
move.

SUMMARY
• Some materials return to their original shape when they are squashed or
stretched; they are elastic.
• Energy is transferred as work is done to change the shape of an object.
• With an elastic object the energy is stored whilst the change of shape is
maintained, and is transferred as the object returns to its original shape.
STRETCHING Task 6b: How much energy is stored in stretching?
AND LIFTING We cannot see how much energy is transferred to the toys as they are wound
up or inflated. However, we can make comparisons between the amounts stored
by measuring the distance travelled by the toys when they are released. The
simplest toys to consider are those which transfer energy quickly when
released, doing work by means of a very short-lived push or pull.
So, for example, what would yon expect the work done on the toy car by the
catapult (and thus the energy transferred) to depend on? Make a list ofyour
suggestions.
Now consider the following factors: the distance the rubber band is pulled back;
the number of rubber bands used.
How would you expect them to influence the energy transferred to the car?
Make a note of your predictions and the reasons for them, then test them.
Make a catapult and compare the distances travelled by a toy car when the
number of bands and the distance pulled back are varied.

The toy will travel best on a smooth surface, such as a tiled floor.
Remember to keep the distance pulled back constant when you vary the
number of bands, and vice versa.

Typical results are shown below.

Number of bands Distance moved by car (in cm)


1 215
2 420
3 600

Distance pulled back (in cm) Distance moved by car (in cm)
1 54
2 120
3 182
4 245
5 291
6 350
7 420
The distance used for calculating the work done on the car is the distance the band is
pulled back, not the total distance moved by the car. Increasing the distance the STRETCHIN
catapult band is pulled back means that more work is done because the rubber band
is stretched further, i.e. force and distance both increase.
AND LIFTIN
Using more bands means that more force is needed to produce the same amount of
stretch, therefore more work is done each time the catapult is fired. Thus you should
find that both the distance pulled back and the number of bands make a difference to
the distance travelled by the toy.

Lifting objects
The man in the picture is lifting a heavy box onto a
table. As he is lifting the box up, its weight is
pushing down on him. Since there is a force and
movement, he must be doing work and transferring
energy in the same way that he would be
transferring energy if he pulled back the rubber
band on a catapult.

So, when the box is resting on the table, what has


happened to the energy?

To understand what has happened to the energy, we need to think about how the box
and the Earth are connected.
The box, like any other object on the Earth, is acted on by gravity. This is very
familiar, because we feel its effect as an object's weight: it pulls all objects towards
the centre of the Earth.
The weight of the box pulls it downwards in each of the two pictures above, but the
box does not move towards the Earth because other forces are opposing the weight.
The man is pushing against the box in the first picture, and, less obviously, the table
is pushing it upwards in the second. If the man and the table were to disappear, the
box would fall in each case.
However, gravity is not just something that the Earth does to an object. We can
imagine it to be like an invisible rubber band, which is constantly pulling the box and
the Earth together (except that the force due to gravity does not increase as an object
is lifted).
Gravity causes a force of attraction between all objects, the size of which depends on
STRETCHING their mass and the distance between them. When the objects are both of very large
AND LIFTING mass, like planets, they affect each other, but since the Earth is much more massive
than the box, we can only see the effect on the box.
To lift the box away from the centre of the Earth we have to do work, but energy is
not transferred to the box or to the Earth, but to the 'system' of the box and the
Earth.

SUMMARY
• Gravity causes objects to be pulled towards the centre of the Earth and the
Earth towards objects.
• When an object is lifted, work is done and energy is transferred in order to move
it against gravity.
• The energy is stored in the 'system' of the Earth and the object.

Task 6c: How much energy is stored in lifting?


What factors would you expect to make a difference to the amount of energy
transferred and stored when an object is lifted?
The following pairs of pictures show energy stored because objects have been
lifted from the floor. For each pair, which picture shows most stored energy?

Changing the height

Changing the mass

BALL
EMPTY BOX
V
Changing the method STRETCHIN
AND LIFTIN

Task 6c continued

Again, we cannot see the amount of energy transferred as the object is lifted. Just as
for the catapult, we could compare the amounts of energy stored by measuring the
distances travelled. In the case below we can compare the amounts stored by looking
at the effects when objects are dropped.

Task 6d: Falling objects


Test your predictions using a marble and a ball-bearing to represent empty and
full boxes.
What happens when the marble and ball-bearing are dropped into the damp
sand? Does mass make a difference? Does the height from which they are
dropped make a difference? Does it matter how they are lifted?

x o ——— \s^
' >
MARBLE ' MAR&LE BAUL
BEARING
^ ^

°T
x VAFTt'IN^
H&Z 4TS
X

^ 1 M fTRE '3- M /
1 J ij
2
/- L J
W/////&HHt>W////M
Changing the height
STRETCHING
When the marble is lifted, gravity does not increase; the weight of the marble does
AND LIFTING not change. However, the system of the Earth and the marble has had more energy
transferred to it, in the same way that pulling the band of the catapult back further
increases its energy. Thus the marble makes a deeper dent in the sand when it falls
from one metre than when it falls from half a metre. In the same way, lifting a box
onto a table transfers more energy than lifting it onto a chair.

Changing the mass


The bigger the mass of an object, the greater the force of gravity (its weight) acting on
it; it is heavier. This is like increasing the number of rubber bands in the case of the
catapult. More work is needed to lift the ball-bearing than the marble, and the
system of the Earth and the object has more energy transferred to it. Thus when the
ball-bearing falls into the damp sand, it makes a larger dent than the marble. In the
same way, lifting a box full of ball-bearings transfers more energy than lifting an
empty box to the same height.

Changing the method


The way in which an object is lifted makes no difference to the energy stored at the
end of the lifting process; this depends only on the weight of the object and the height
through which it is lifted. Thus when two men lift a box, the work done by each is
reduced, but the amount of energy stored is the same as when one man lifts.
Moving a box up a slope may also be easier, but the total amount of energy stored
still depends on the distance moved vertically.
We can work out the increase in stored energy when an object is lifted by multiplying
weight by increase in height.

SUMMARY
• The increase in energy stored when an object is lifted depends on the weight of
the object and the change in height.
• The way in which an object is lifted makes no difference to the increase in
stored energy.
SECTION 7: ENERGY AND MOVEMENT

The rate at which energy is transferred depends on factors including friction.


The energy of a moving object depends on its speed.

Resources
A selection of clockwork, spring and rubber band toys
Two blocks of wood, approximately 20 x 10 x 2cm
A piece of wood with two nails (for catapult)
A piece of card
A rubber band
A small toy car
A tape measure

Task 7a: What happens to the energy?


Try to find a range of children's toys which transfer energy from stretched or
squashed material. Some examples are shown in the pictures below. Write a
description of the energy transfers as each toy moves.
Toy car catapult
ENERGY AND
The simplest example to start with is the catapult firing a toy car across the floor.
MOVEMENT Energy is transferred from the rubber band to the car for the very short time that
they are in contact, and as soon as the car leaves the band it begins to slow down.

Although we cannot see any way in which energy could be leaving the toy, this must
be the case. In fact, the energy is being transferred from movement to heat the car
and its surroundings. This is difficult to believe because even a sensitive
thermometer will not be able to measure the tiny differences in temperature
produced, but the same effect can be exaggerated to make it more obvious.

Try pressing two blocks of wood together and


rubbing them backwards and forwards against each
other. Do you notice that the blocks are slightly
hotter? They warm up as energy is transferred to
them. (This is why we rub our hands together to
warm them on a cold day.) Whenever an object
moves, energy is transferred from movement to
heat the object and its surroundings - they warm
up.

So as the toy car moves, energy is transferred from it, warming it and the
surroundings. The car slows down and, when all the energy has been transferred
from movement, the car stops.
The other examples are more complicated, because of the ways in which the
mechanisms work. In each case, to understand the energy transfers we need to know
exactly what is happening to the toys.
The jack-in-the-box
ENERGY AN
As soon as the lid is opened the spring moves, but it does not simply return to its
original length, it extends, then compresses itself, thus making jack' bounce up and MOVEMENT
down.

Whilst the spring is moving, the spring, the box, jack and the surroundings warm up
as energy is transferred. Thus each bounce is smaller than the last, until all the
energy has been transferred from movement and the toy stops.

The balloon rocket


When the balloon is released, energy is transferred
from the stretched rubber to the rocket. As the
rocket moves through the air, energy is transferred
and the rocket, the thread along which it moves and
the surrounding air warm up.
Objects moving through air can become very hot —
think of the Apollo space capsules re-entering the
Earth's atmosphere.

When the balloon is no longer stretched, no further energy is transferred to


movement but energy continues to be transferred from movement as the rocket and
its surroundings warm up. Thus the rocket slows down and eventually stops.

The clockwork train


When the toy is released after being wound, its movement takes several stages.
Common sense tells us that energy is being transferred as the train speeds up and as
it slows down, but what about when the train is moving at a steady speed?
In fact, whilst the speed is constant, the rate at which energy is transferred from the
toy train is exactly balanced by the rate at which energy is transferred to it from the
spring. Although the spring is still unwinding, the speed of the train is not
increasing. The energy drain is being exactly compensated for by an energy top-up. In
this case, most of the energy transfer to heating happens inside the toy as the spring
unwinds.
ENERGY AND SUMMARY
MOVEMENT • Whenever an object moves, it and its surroundings warm up as energy is
transferred from it.
• Speeding up can only happen when the rate of transferring energy to an object
is greater than the rate of transferring energy from it.

Task 76: Energy and friction


Consider the toy car catapult. What makes a difference to the rate at which
energy is transferred from the moving car?
Make a list of the factors you might consider.
You may have included 'type of surface' in your list.
Using a catapult, compare the rate at which energy is transferred from the toy
on different surfaces by comparing the distances travelled by the toy car.
Before you start to take measurements, try to predict the surface on which the
car will travel furthest. You could try smooth wood or tiles, carpet or the
playground.

Your results might look like those below.


Type of surface Distance moved by the toy (in cm)
Carpet 140
Tiled floor 215
Playground 172
Wooden table 200

You should find that the toy does not move as far on a rough surface as on a smooth
one. In energy terms, this tells us that energy must be transferred from the car more
quickly as it travels on the rough surface. Thus, if we could detect a temperature
increase we might expect it to be greater on the carpet than on the tile floor.
Thinking about energy does not tell us why the toy slows down more quickly on rough
surfaces than on smooth ones. To understand why, rather than how, we need to think
about the forces acting on the toy.
After it leaves the catapult, the car slows down because several forces are resisting
its movement. One of these resistive forces is friction, as the wheels of the car grip
the surface along which it moves. When the car moves along a rougher surface, this
force is greater, and the car is slowed down more quickly than on a smoother surface.
What other forces could be involved?
Other forces include the axles rubbing on the bearings, and the air pushing against
the car as it moves. Thus the materials from which the car is made and its size and
shape may make a difference to its movement.
Some surfaces are designed to produce as much friction as possible, so as to transfer
energy from movement as quickly as possible. The most common use of such surfaces
is in brakes, which are built into most vehicles to help them stop quickly.
If you apply the brakes whilst riding a bicycle, you may find that the break pads
warm up enough for you to feel a temperature difference.
Task 7c: Using friction ENERGY AN
The distance needed for brakes to bring a vehicle to a stop is its breaking MOVEMENT
distance. What does this distance depend on?
Think about two identical cars, one moving at 50 km per hour, the other at 100
km per hour. If the drivers applied their brakes at exactly the same instant,
which car would travel further before coming to a stop?

Common sense tells us that the car moving at 100 km per hour will take longer to
stop because it is moving faster. This means that more energy has to be transferred
and so the car brakes will get hotter.
Now think about the two vehicles below, both moving at 50 km per hour.

Again, common sense tells us that the truck, given the same brakes, will have a much
greater stopping distance from the car. (In fact, brakes on heavy vehicles are
designed to transfer energy from movement much more quickly.) This tells us that
the energy of moving objects depends on both the speed of an object and its mass.

SUMMARY
• Whenever an object moves, a force - friction - resists its movement.
• This force causes objects to slow down and stop, unless energy is transferred
to overcome it.
• Friction causes energy to be transferred to heating a moving object and the
surface along which it moves.
• Friction is greater on rough surfaces than on smooth surfaces.
SELF-ASSESSMENT: PART 4

Assessment Task 4a
Use a flow diagram to describe the energy
transfer from a person blowing into the
balloon to the buggy moving across the
floor.

Assessment Task 4b
(a) Place these statements in order to create an energy flow diagram.
(b) Describe the energy transfer at each stage.

The spring inside the car


The winder is released.
is coiled.

The car travels along the The person winds up a toy


floor. car.

When the spring stops


The cogs turn and move
uncoiling the car stops
the axles of the car.
moving.

The wheels on the axle


turn and the car begins to A person has scrambled
move. eggs for breakfast.

The spring uncoils. The action of the spring


uncoiling moves cogs.
ANSWERS
SELF-
Assessment Task 4a ASSESSMEN
PART 4
Air is compressed into the
balloon.

T
This stretches the balloon,
transferring energy to the
material.

On release the air is


forced out.

T
Consequently, there is
energy transfer to
movement of the buggy.

T
Energy transfer in the
form of heat occurs due to
friction between the
balloon and the air.

Section 6, p.33
SELF- Assessment Task 4b
ASSESSMENT (a) (b)
PART 4 A person has scrambled Energy is transferred from
eggs for breakfast. the food.

The person winds up a toy


car.

Energy is transferred from


the person to the spring.

The spring inside the car


is coiled.

The winder is released.

T
The spring uncoils.
Energy is transferred from

T the spring to the


movement of the axles of
the car.
The action of the spring
uncoiling moves cogs.

T
The cogs turn and move
the axles of the car.

The wheels on the axle


turn and the car begins to
move. Energy is transferred from

T the axles into the


movement of the wheels.
There is friction between
The car travels along the axles and the chassis
floor. where the energy transfer
results in heating.

T Energy is transferred from


the car to its
When the spring stops surroundings.
uncoiling the car stops
moving.
Sections 6 and 7, pp.33, 41 and 42
SECTION 8: ENERGY AND EFFICIENCY

When energy is transferred, there is often a temperature increase; the amount of usable
energy decreases.
The efficiency of a machine depends on its energy input and its useful energy output.

Task 8: How much energy is transferred?


Think again about the processes we have considered so far. Some examples are
shown below.
In each case, what is happening to the energy? Write down all the transfers you
can think of, then put them in order, greatest to least.

In one example, the light bulb transfers energy from electricity to light and heats its
surroundings. We have energy being transferred by electric current; energy to
increase temperature; and energy to light up surroundings. The increase in
temperature accounts for most of the energy transferred.
Now decide which of the transfers we want to happen. In the case of the bulb, for
example, we want light, but we do not want the bulb to get hot.
Whenever a machine transfers energy, some part of it warms up. Heating is often
undesirable, but it is an unavoidable side-effect that often accounts for a large
proportion of the transfer.
Thus useful energy output is always less than energy input. We define efficiency in
science as: efficiency = useful energy output -f- energy input.
This gives an amount which is always less than one, and multiplying by 100 gives a
percentage efficiency which is always less than 100 rr.
Some machines need to operate at high temperatures, and for these most of the
ENERGY AND energy transferred heats the machine and its surroundings.
EFFICIENCY The filament in a light bulb, for example, gives out
light because it is very hot. In this case, only about
209r of the energy transferred from electrical
current is present in the light output, about 80%
heats the filament, the bulb and the room. Thus the
light bulb is only about 20% efficient.

In a power station, water is heated to produce


steam which is further heated to very high
temperatures to drive turbines.
For every 1000 joules of energy transferred from
fuel and oxygen by burning, only about 350 joules
are transferred to electrical output. In other words,
power stations are about 35% efficient.

Living things also transfer energy, but it is more


difficult to identify a useful output to work out
efficiency. Energy from food is eventually
transferred to heating the horse and its
surroundings. Less than half is transferred through
movement.
Similarly, with the car, all of the energy from
burning petrol is eventually transferred to heating ENERGY AN
the car and its surroundings. For this reason, we EFFICIENCY
cannot just use energy output to calculate
efficiency.
However, if we could trace the path of energy from
burning petrol, we would find that some of it is
transferred to movement of the wheels, and
through this movement to heating the car tyres and
the road, whilst most of the energy is transferred
directly to heating the engine and then to the
cooling water and air.

One indication of efficiency is the extent to which energy from fuel is transferred to
movement of the wheels along the road. We can compare this for different vehicles by
measuring the distance travelled on a fixed amount of petrol.

SUMMARY
• Whenever energy is transferred, useful output is less than input, thus efficiency
is always less than 100%.
SECTION 9: WHAT HAPPENS TO ENERGY?
Energy t?~ansfers tend to reduce differences in temperature.
Energy tends to spread out and- become less useful.

Resources
A kettle
A pencil
A yoghurt pot
A washing-up bowl
Two thermometers
A pan of water
A metal spoon
A wooden spoon
A device to heat the pan
A circle of foil or thin card to make a spiral snake
A lighted candle or filament bulb
In previous sections we described energy transfers in important processes such as
plant growth, human activity and electrical current production. In each case, energy
transfer eventually results in a temperature increase, but this is not the end of the
energy chain. What happens to the energy when objects cool down?

Task 9a: Heating and cooling


What happens in energy terms when a cup of tea cools in a room? We cannot
see energy leaving the cup, but this must be the case. Where does the
energy go?

Put a pencil mark on the inside of a yoghurt


pot, about 2cm from the top, and fill to the
mark with hot water from a kettle.
Put the yoghurt pot into the washing-up bowl
and fill the bowl with cold water from the tap,
so that the level outside is the same as that
inside.
Measure the temperature of the water in the
middle of the pot and just outside it every
minute for 10 minutes, and record your
results.
Make sure that you put your thermometer in the same place each time you
measure the temperature.
Allow the kettle to cool for five minutes from boiling before you pour water into
the yoghurt pot. Very hot water could melt the plastic.
You should find that your results are something like those below.
WHAT
Temperature in Temperature in HAPPENS Tl
Time (minutes) yoghurt pot (°C) washing-up bowl (°C)
0 75 13
ENERGY?
1 60 15
2 47 17
3 42 18
4 37 18
5 33 18
6 28 18
7 26 18
8 24 18
9 22 18
10 21 17

What do the results tell you about energy transfers? What do you notice about the
way in which the temperatures change? How would the readings change if you
continued to take measurements for several hours?
As the water in the yoghurt pot cools, its surroundings warm up, as we might expect.
The water in the yoghurt pot loses energy, whilst the water in the bowl and the
surrounding air gains, so the total remains the same.
What else do the results tell us?

Removing differences
Plot your readings on a graph of temperature
change versus time. Notice how quickly the
temperature of the water in the yoghurt pot
changes during the first few minutes.
As the temperature difference between the water in
the pot and that in the bowl gets smaller, energy is
transferred more slowly.

Unless we intervene, energy transfers usually remove differences - differences in


height, differences in temperature, differences in movement. Once the energy
transfer has happened, and the difference has been removed, we need to put energy
into the system to recreate the difference, if we want the process to run again.
As an example, think about the energy transfers involved in the processes in a power
station. Steam passes through the turbine because there is a temperature difference
- very hot steam at one side, cooler steam at the other. If we want the process to be
continuous, we have to maintain the temperature difference by reheating the steam.

SpT'eading and diluting


Look again at the graph above. The temperature of the water in the washing up bowl
increases, but the change in its temperature is much smaller than the decrease in the
temperature of the water in the yoghurt pot. What does this tell us about the energy
transfer?
As energy is transferred from the hot water to the cold water (and to the air in the
room) the amount of energy does not change, but it is spread throughout all of the
water.
Imagine what you would find if you repeated your
WHAT readings, but this time took the temperature at the
HAPPENS TO outer edge of the washing-up bowl, instead of close
to the yoghurt pot.
ENERGY? If you are not sure, try it!

This time your graph would look slightly different.


Notice that the temperature of the water in the washing-up bowl changes only
slightly, if at all, as the water in the yoghurt pot cools.
This does not mean that the energy has disappeared, but that, it has spread out so
thinly that we cannot detect it.
Eventually the energy will spread out so much that the water in the yoghurt pot and
the bowl will reach the same temperature - room temperature - although the room
temperature will have increased very, very, slightly.
This is what happens when a cup of tea cools in a room; the energy is so spread out,
in the air this time, that we cannot detect any increase in temperature.

Task 9b: What happens as materials warm up?


Why do we design saucepans with plastic or wooden handles? What does it
suggest about energy transfer?
Put a metal spoon and a wooden spoon into a
pan of boiling water, so that the handles are
above the water level. Leave for five minutes
then carefully touch the handle of each.
What do you notice?

You should find that the handle of the metal spoon feels much hotter than the handle
of the wooden spoon. Since the spoons have been in boiling water for the same length
of time, why should they be at different temperatures?
To understand how energy transfers happen when materials get hotter, we need to
think about what is happening to the particles which make up the material.
All substances — solids, liquids and gases - are made up of tiny particles — atoms or
molecules, which are in constant motion. This movement is restricted to vibration in WHAT
solids, which is why they tend to keep their shape. When an object is heated, energy HAPPENS Tl
is transferred to the particles near its surface, and they move more vigorously. The
particles are close enough together to affect each other, and so energy is transferred ENERGY?
through the object. This method of energy transfer is known as conduction.
Some materials allow energy to transfer through them more quickly than others.
Metal, for example, is a good conductor; energy transfers through it very quickly.
Wood, on the other hand, is an insulator; energy transfers through it quite slowly.
In gases, particles are on average further apart and usually affect each other less, so
they tend to be insulators. This is why air, for example, trapped inside materials such
as expanded polystyrene and glass fibre, reduces energy transfer, thus acting as an
insulator.

Task 9c: Heating and expansion


Cut a spiral snake from a circle of foil or
thin card. Hold it by a thread above a
lighted candle. (Not too close.)
What happens?
What makes the spiral move?

This also works well using a filament light


bulb instead of a candle.

When a material warms up, its particles move more vigorously, and this increased
movement causes them to spread out more; the material expands. This means that
there are the same number of particles, and hence the same mass, in a larger volume,
and thus the material is less dense. This expansion is greatest in gases, where the
particles are widely spaced to begin with.
In the case of the candle and paper spiral, warm air moves upwards and this creates
an area of lower pressure around the spiral. The cooler surrounding air at a higher
pressure moves to the lower pressure area, gets heated and rises. This continuous
movement is called a convection current and causes the spiral to move.
Although less expansion is involved, convection currents can also exist in liquids.
When your central heating radiators are warming up, for instance, you should find
that the top is hotter than the bottom.

Radiating energy
Conduction and convection can only happen when energy is transferred through
materials, but energy can also be transferred through empty space. For example,
although some of the energy transferred from the Sun to the Earth is visible - as
light - most of it heats the atmosphere and the Earth's surface.
Most objects transfer energy by radiation, but it is most noticeable with hot objects.
The amount of energy transferred depends on the object's surface; the best radiators
tend to have matt black surfaces, not shiny as we might expect.
WHAT Task 9d: Preventing energy transfer
HAPPENS TO When we heat our homes, we effectively heat the outside as well as the inside.
To maintain a constant temperature, we need to transfer energy into a house at
ENERGY? the same rate as it is transferred out. Thus reducing heating costs involves
reducing energy transferred to the outside of the building; the less we transfer
out, the less we need to put in.
Look at the picture and decide where energy
is being transferred out of the building.
Which area is responsible for the largest loss?
Suggest improvements which could be made
to reduce these losses.

Typical figures for energy transfer are shown below.


Walls 35%
Roof 25%
Floor 20%
Windows 10%
Draughts 5%
Chimneys 5%
The biggest savings can be made by reducing the biggest losses. Making your house
airtight, for example, would reduce heating costs by only 5%, and would be unwise for
health reasons!
The most popular methods are shown below together with typical current cost
savings (1993).

X'

INSUL*CTioH

Cavity wall insulation Double glazing Loft insulation


£60-£80 per year £20-£40 per year £60-£70 per year

SUMMARY
• A difference (in height, temperature and speed) is needed for energy transfer.
• Energy transfers usually remove differences.
• Whenever energy is transferred it tends to spread out.
• Conduction, convection and radiation are means by which energy is transferred
due to a difference in temperature.
• Some materials are better conductors than others.
SELF-ASSESSMENT: PART 5

Assessment Task 5a
(a) Make a list of where energy is being transferred out of a building.
(b) Explain why warm air central heating ducts are placed close to the floor
and not near the ceiling.
(c) Make a list of suitable home improvements which would help to reduce
the energy transfer out of the house.

Assessment Task 5b
(a) Describe the transfer of energy from a person to a bike when cycling.
(b) What is the effect in terms of energy transfer of cycling down a hill on a
bike and braking to a stop?

Assessment Task 5c
A recent newspaper headline stated: 'World's energy supplies to end in the
year 2015'.
Comment on the sentence in the light of your understanding of energy and
energy sources.
SELF- ANSWERS

ASSESSMENT Assessment Task 5a


PARTS (a) Walls
Floors
Roof
Windows
Chimney
(b) Warm air rises so allowing air to circulate by convection.
(c) Double glazing
Cavity wall insulation
Draught proofing
Loft insulation
Carpets
Section 9, p.54

Assessment Task 5b
(a) movement of legs movement of bike

energy is transferred to
heating due to friction in the
pedals, wheel bearings, tyres,
rider, air and ground.

(b) Energy is available for movement of bike


transfer by virtue of being
high up on the slope

transfer of energy from bike in braking heats


up brakes, wheel rims, tyres, ground and air.

Sections 2, 6 and 7, pp.14, 15, 38 and 42

Assessment Task 5c
The key ideas are outlined below.
Energy is something that is transferred and therefore cannot be used up. This
must be distinguished from an energy source. An energy source is something
that has energy available for transfer.
Some energy sources are renewable and some are non-renewable.
Taken literally, the sentence is incorrect in the sense that the world's energy
supplies include both non-renewable and renewable sources. By definition, the
renewable ones will not run out (as long as the Sun is still there!).
If the sentence is taken to refer to just the world's non-renewable energy
sources then it is correct, in the sense that they will come to an end. However,
there is debate about the exact year.
Any implication in the sentence that energy itself is used up is incorrect.
Sections 1, 4 and 5, pp.6, 7, 24 and 29
GLOSSARY
Atom The smallest particle of an element, consisting of a small nucleus
surrounded by orbiting electrons.
Calorie The amount of energy transferred when the temperature of Ig of
water increases by 1°C. 1000 calories = 1 kilocalorie (kcalj. Diet
books often refer to Calories (with a cap 'C'j, one of which
= 1000 calories.
Carbohydrate A constituent of food, the main source of energy in our diet, e.g.
sugar and starch.
Chlorophyll The green pigment in plants, which absorbs energy from sunlight
for photosynthesis.
Conduction The transfer of energy between molecules, resulting in
temperature change.
Conductor Material which does allow energy to transfer through it easily,
e.g. metal.
Conservation of A law of nature which states that at the end of a process we
energy should be able to account for all the energy transferred; the total
amount of energy is always the same.
Convection This happens when fluids are heated unevenly. Hot liquids and
gases expand and rise relative to their cooler surroundings.
Digestion The process by which the food we eat is made soluble so that
glucose, for example, can be transported to where it is needed in
the body.
Efficiency A way of comparing useful energy (or work) output with energy
input. By definition, efficiency = useful energy output -H energy
input. Efficiency is always less than 1: percentage efficiency is
always less than 100%.
Energy An abstract quantity, defined in science as ability to do work.
The fact that it is always conserved allows us to make predictions
about, for example, temperature increases caused by burning fuel.
Energy transfer Tliis accompanies changes (in movement, temperature, etc.).
Whenever energy is transferred, the total amount is the same.
Fat A constituent of food which can be used for energy transfer in the
body. Fatty foods include oils, dairy produce and fatty meats.
Food A substance that can be used in metabolism as either a source of
energy or as building blocks for growth and repair.
Force A push or pull, measured in newtons (.NX Forces can cause objects
to move or change shape.
Fossil fuel Fuels made up of the remains of once-living organisms, e.g. coal,
oil, natural gas. Fossil fuels are non-renewable.
Friction A force which opposes movement. Frictional forces include air
resistance, drag as surfaces slide across each other, and grip
between surfaces during movement (e.g. a car tyre on a road).
Fuel A substance which burns in air or oxygen, transferring energy as
it heats its surroundings.
Ceot/icrina/ A means of transferring energy from the hot rocks beneath the
poieer Earth's surface to water for heating buildings.
Gravitv This causes a force which tends to pull all objects together. The
GLOSSARY size of the pull depends on the masses of the objects and the
distance between them. When a planet-sized object (such as
Earth) and a much smaller object (such as a human) are pulled
together by gravity, only the effect on the smaller object is
noticeable.
Growth The process by which new cells are constructed in the body of
animals and plants.
Hydroelectric A means of generating a voltage by using the flow of
power water to drive turbines.
Insulator Material which does not allow energy to transfer through it
easily, e.g. air, wood.
Joule The unit of work, being the work done when a force of 1 newton
moves through a distance of 1 metre. Work = force x distance.
Kilowatt See watt.
Mass The amount of matter or 'stuff in a body is the mass (m). Mass is
a property of a body, measured in kilograms (kg). It should not be
confused with weight, which is a force.
Megajoule 106 joules (MJ), i.e. 1 million joules.
Microbe A general term used to describe microscopic organisms such as
fungi or bacteria.
Molecule The smallest unit of a substance which can still be identified as
that substance.
Nuclear power A means of generating a voltage using nuclear fission (splitting
atoms to release energy).
Photosynthesis The process by which plants manufacture simple sugars from raw
materials - water and carbon dioxide. Energy is transferred to
the plant from sunlight during this process.
Power The rate of energy transfer, or rate of doing work. Power = energy
transferred -^ time for transfer. It is calculated in watts (W) where
1W = U/s (joules per second), 1 kilowatt (kW) = 1000W.
Protein A constituent of food, used mainly as a raw material for animal
growth and cell replacement.
Radiation A process by which energy is transferred, which can happen in
empty space.
Solar power A means of transferring energy from sunlight for heating or for
generating a voltage.
Speed This is how quickly something travels a set distance.
Temperature A measure of the movement of molecules in a material. Measured
in degrees Celsius (°C).
Tidal power A means of transferring energy from the rise and fall of tidal
water.
Voltage A measure of the energy per unit of electrical charge in a circuit
produced by a battery or mains source. Voltage is measured in
volts (V).
Watt The unit of power. 1 kilowatt (kW) = 1000 watts (W).
Weight The force on a body due to gravity. It is different for objects of
different mass.
Wind power A means of transferring energy from wind.
Work This happens when something moves because it is pushed or
pulled. Work done = force x distance moved in the direction of the
force.
RESOURCES

Section 2 A selection of food packets, a calorie counter book (optional).

Section 6 A selection of clockwork, spring and rubber band toys; a piece of


wood with two nails (for catapult), a piece of card, three rubber
bands of the same length, a small toy car, a tape measure; a glass
marble and a ball bearing of equal diameter, a tray (e.g. seed tray)
containing a 5cm layer of damp sand.

Section 7 A selection of clockwork, spring and rubber band toys; two blocks
of wood approximately 20xlOx2cm; a piece of wood with two nails
(for catapult), a piece of card, a rubber band, a small toy car, a
tape measure.

Section 9 A kettle, a pencil, a yoghurt pot, a washing-up bowl, two


thermometers; a pan of water, a metal spoon, a wooden spoon, a
device to heat the pan; a circle of foil or thin card to make a spiral
snake, a lighted candle or filament bulb.
WHAT THE CHILDREN SAID
In Section 1, we asked children the question 'What is energy?' Here we have provided
comments on the children's answers.
'Energy is strength. It makes you No, strength is connected with the extent
run quite fast.' to which a material can withstand a
force. Energy does not make things
happen, muscles exert forces to make
you move, but energy is transferred as
we run.
'Energy is a sort of oxygen.' Energy is not a substance like gas or
oxygen; however, gas and oxygen can
burn and transfer energy.
'Energy is a power.' No. Power is energy transfer per second.
It is the rate of transfer of energy.
'Energy comes from power stations.' Electrical current, comes from power
stations; it is the means of transferring
energy.
'Energy comes from protein and vitamins. 1 Protein can be involved in the transfer of
energy in muscles. Vitamins are not
involved.
'Energy comes from the Sun.' Yes, it will heat and light our
environment.
'. .. something that keeps you alive. Energy transfer is necessary for life,
movement, keeping warm, etc.
'. . . when you run you use it up.' No. We transfer it from food to
movement.
'Energy is using electric.' 1 Electrical current transfers energy from
'Energy is electricity.' > the power station to the device.
'Energy runs through wires.' J
'. . . and keeping fit.' When you are fit, you are better able to
transfer energy from (bod in a variety of
activities.
'I have more than babies.' You have a better developed system for
transferring energy from food in various
types of activity.
This book is designed to help teachers increase their knowledge and
understanding of science related to energy. The text provides practical
activities to support learning and allows readers to assess their own
understanding of the ideas.

£7rrp
ISBN: 1 85838 012 X
National Curriculum Council, Albion Wharf, 25 Skeldergate YO1 2XL

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