Energy, work and power

iGCSE coordinated physics

 What energy is
Construct your own definition of energy. You may use some help from the
below diagrams.

Energy is the
capacity/ability to do
some work.

That work doesn’t need

to involve movement.
 Types of energy

Kinetic Gravitational Thermal Chemical Elastic Nuclear

Potential (Internal)

Energy can change into different types:

• The match originally contained chemical

energy (phosphorus substance)
• Ch. E. changed into thermal E. (and light)
 Stored energy
Some forms of energy can be stored in objects, like chemical energy in batteries or
glucose molecules. Sort out the following energy types in storable and non storable.
Storable Non storable
Chemical E.
Kinetic E.
GPE
Thermal
Electricity
Nuclear
Elastic
 Transfer of energy
Look at the following examples and match them with these 4 types of energy
transfer:
MECHANICAL T., WAVE RADIATION, HEATING, ELECTRICAL T.
2. 3.
1. Wave rad.
Heating
Electrical t. Mechanical t.

4.
Is it true or false that all chemical energy from the battery will eventually be
transferred into light energy? Give reasons with your answer.

• Not all chemical energy is transferred

into light, since some is also transferred
into heat*.
• But we can say all chemical energy is
transferred into heat and light energy.

Chemical energy  Light energy + heat

 Quick Assessment:
Different Energy Stores
Match the images below to their energy store.

chemical burger kinetic cheetah gravitational potential parachute

thermal candle elastic rubber bands

Different Energy Stores: Transfers
When you eat food, this is a chemical store.

You transfer the energy into different stores.

Kinetic stores: when you move.

Thermal stores: to maintain your body temperature.

Chemical stores: when you make different compounds in your body.

 Different Energy Stores: Transfers
Now we know the 5 different energy stores.

Energy can be transferred between stores as

electric, light, sound or mechanical (when a
force acts on the object).

For example, a battery operated fan.

The energy stores Energy is transferred

move from chemical as electrical energy.
to kinetic.
 Remember!
Energy Stores

chemical thermal kinetic

gravitational potential elastic

Energy Transfers

electric light sound

mechanical (a force is acting on the object)

 Energy Transfer Experiments
Energy
Answers Energy Store at the
Start
Energy Store at the
End
Transfer

lighting a candle chemical thermal light

battery operated chemical thermal light

torch
toy car rolling down gravitational kinetic sound
a ramp potential
pendulum gravitational kinetic mechanical
potential
hair dryer chemical (burning kinetic sound
fuel at power station

simple circuit chemical thermal electrical

Newton’s cradle gravitational kinetic sound

potential
 Assessment
What is the main energy transfer taking place in a solar
light
powered calculator? (1 mark)

chemical
What are the energy stores involved when using a
camping stove? (2 marks)
thermal

Energy stores:
chemical (at the power
What are the energy stores and pathways involved when station); thermal.
turning on an electrical radio? (3 marks)
Energy transfers:
electrical and sound.
 Law of conservation of energy
1. In a close system, all input energy is transformed into output energy.

2. Energy can’t be created or destroyed.

3. There is always energy dissipation in heat or sound forms.

90 J electric E.  80 J light + 10 J heat

Input energy (90 J) = Output energy (90 J)

There is some energy dissipation (10 J of heat)

Energy efficiency
1. Identify how much waste
energy (in J) is dissipated in
both the modern and old
lightbulb.

2. Apply the efficiency equation to

both diagrams and compare
results.
Useful E.
Efficiency = X 100
Input E.
A Playstation 3 consumes 178 kWH of electricity, from which the majority are
transformed into light and sound energy in the TV. However, 17 kWH are also
transferred into heat energy.
1. Useful energy is the part of the output energy which is not dissipated. Find out
how much was produced.
2. Efficiency is the % of useful energy in relation to the input energy. Calculate it.

Input E. = Useful E. + dissipated energy

178 = Useful E. + 17

Useful E. = 178 – 17 = 161 kWH useful E.

161 / 178 (x 100) = 90.44 % of efficiency

A kitchen oven takes 1206 kWH of electricity to work. From those, 1098 kWH
are transferred into heat and 107 kWH into sound.

Is the Law of Conservation of Energy obeyed?

1206 =/= 1098 + 107

1206 =/= 1205

Input energy =/= output energy; the Law of Conservation of Energy is not obeyed.
Kinetic energy and GPE

K.E. = m x v2 x ½
GPE = m x g x h
 Law of conservation of energy
The input energy
(1) will stay When GPE
constant along decreases, KE
the system increases

When GPE
increases,
KE
decreases
Law of conservation of energy

• In a close system, energy stays

constant.
• When the wagon descends it
catches speed.
• It loses GPE
• GPE is converted into
kinetic energy
• Speed increases
• When it rises up, KE is
converted into GPE.
• The wagon gains height
• The wagon loses speed.
Energy changes that take place when helicopter lands
 Work and Power
Work is another expression of energy. Power is the ratio of work by time.

It is the result of applying a force over a The faster the work is done, the
certain distance. higher the power.

W = F x d (measured in J, joules) P = W/t (measured in W, watts)

A box full of rice is pushed with a 45 N force along 3.5 m during 4 seconds; at the
same time, somebody pushes a box full of oat with a force of 70 N along 7.5 m, taking
7 seconds.
Find out a) work done on each case and, b) which case showed a bigger power input.

W = F x d = 45 x 3.5 = 157.5 J
RICE P = 157.5 / 4 = 39.38 W

W = F x d = 70 x 7.5 = 525 J
OAT P = 525 / 7 = 75 W
Two boxes are pushed by using the same manpower. The fish box is pushed 8 m with
a force of 32 N. The meat box is moved 5 m.
Find out the force exerted over the meat box.

Pfish box = Pmeat box

FISH
Ff x df = Fm x dm
t t

Ff x df = Fm x dm
MEAT
Fm = (32 x 8) / 5 = 51.2 N.
Work done against air resistance
 Energy resources
Everyday we use electrical devices that use
energy supplied from a power plant.

But where does the plant get all the energy from?

Energy resources vary according to their own

nature. We can divide them between renewable
and non renewable.

All of them work making a turbine spin, making a

generator produce electricity.
 How we get electricity from steam
As the turbine spins,
the generator
generates electricity

Steam pushes a
turbine

Electricity is delivered
Water is heated through the national
using a boiler until it grid
becomes steam
 Non-renewable energy resources

These replenish slowly, so we will eventually run out of them.

• We burn fossil fuels
and use the heat and
produce steam. This
moves turbines which
generate electricity.

• Radioactive fuels (like

Fossil fuels
Radioactive fuels
(Nuclear fission energy)
uranium) emit heat,
which we also use to
move turbines and
generate electricity.
Renewable energy resources
These don’t run out!

Solar photovoltaic energy

• Sunlight is converted directed

into electricity using solar
panels.
Renewable energy resources

Hydroelectric energy

• Water from a reservoir passes

through a turbine inside a
dam.
• The turbine actions the
generator.
• Water ends in a nearby river.
Renewable energy resources

Tidal energy

• Tides are the movement of sea

water because of the moon
travelling around.
• Tides and waves spin turbines
located underwater.
• Those turbines generate
electricity.
Renewable energy resources

Geothermal energy

• The inside of the Earth is very hot.

• We use that heat source to produce

heat and spin a turbine if there is a
close magma chamber.
Renewable energy resources

Wind energy

• Wind spins huge blades that spin a

turbine inside.
 Concepts about energy production
• Reliability:
– We say a resource is reliable if we can continuously exploit (use) it. If its production is
often interrupted, it is not reliable.
• Cost-effectiveness:
– We say it is cost-effective if benefits are visibly higher than costs. Otherwise it is too
expensive and not worth it.
• Energy scale production:
– Some resources produce big or large amounts of energy; others don’t.
• Renewable vs non renewable:
– A renewable energy resource is one that is replenished at a faster rate than the rate at
which it is being used.
As a result of this, renewable energy resources cannot run out.
 Fossil fuels
Non-
Very reliable, as renewable
production has
been uninterrupted

Produce large
greenhouse gas
Cheap to extract,
Great reservoirs all emissions,
process and export!
over the world It’s very cost-
contributing to
allowed massive effective. global warming.
scale production
 Hydroelectric
Very reliable, as Renewable
dams are built upon
constantly flowing
rivers
Severe impact on
wildlife as natural
habitat is destroyed
Great water
reservoirs allow
Expensive to build
massive scale
production and maintain
 Tidal
Although not Renewable
reliable, it is
predictable: tides
follow time trends
Severe impact on
wildlife as natural
habitat is destroyed
Still in
development, so
Expensive to build
scale production of
energy is moderate and maintain
 Geothermal
Constant heat from
Renewable
underground makes
it reliable.

Can release
harmful gases from
the undergorund
Only suitable for
certain places –
moderate scale Not to expensive to
production of energy build, making it
cost-effective
 Nuclear
Non
Reliable production Very expensive to renewable
of energy build and
decommission
Produces very
dangerous
radioactive wastes

Produces huge amounts of

energy out of small amount Does not produce
of fuel, making it also very harmful and
cost-effective greenhouse gases
 Solar photovoltaic
Depends on sunny
conditions, making Renewable
it not reliable in
some places

Very expensive to
build and does not
produce large
amounts of energy

Good option for

Does not produce harmful
remote places
or greenhouse gases at all
 Wind
Depends on windy
conditions, making Renewable
it not reliable in
some places

Ugly and
noisy
Very expensive to
build although
cheap to maintain
Compatible with
Does not produce harmful other land uses
or greenhouse gases at all like farming
Complete the table with information from previous
slides.

Don’t forget to discuss reliability, cost-effectiveness

and energy scales of productions.
Most energy resources originally come from the sun one way or another.

(Nuclear energy, tidal energy and geothermal energy are the exemptions.)

Food chains
The sun heats up
originally depend on
the atmosphere
plants, which Fossil fuels come
and creates the
produce chemical from organisms
wind and waves
The sun energy thanks to that lived in the
evaporates water photosynthesis. past.
and then creates
rainfall, which
forms reservoirs.
Fusion inside the sun

• The sun gets its energy

thanks to fusion energy
processes.

• Small atoms of hydrogen

fuse (combine) into
helium atoms.

• This releases vast

amounts of energy.
 Tidal energy comes
from the force
attraction between the
moon and the Earth

Nuclear fission energy

gets it from radioactive Geothermal energy gets
minerals energy from heat inside
the Earth
 THANK YOU

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