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KNOWLEDGE AND
UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE
RGY
A GUIDE FOR TEACHERS
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INER I .
NATIONAL
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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
Self-assessment: Part 1 10
Self-assessment: Part 2 20
Self-assessment: Part 3 30
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.
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.
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?
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 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.
© <D
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
Resources
A selection of food packets
You may also find a calorie counter book useful
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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 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?
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.
SToAED
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
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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.
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.
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.
0 0
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.
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.
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
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.
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)
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
T
This stretches the balloon,
transferring energy to the
material.
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.
T
The spring uncoils.
Energy is transferred from
T
The cogs turn and move
the axles of the car.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
X'
INSUL*CTioH
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 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.
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 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.
£7rrp
ISBN: 1 85838 012 X
National Curriculum Council, Albion Wharf, 25 Skeldergate YO1 2XL