Fierce Fifth Graders
Energy
1. What is Energy?
2. Different Kinds of Energy
3. Energy Flow on Earth
4. Electricity
5. How a Battery Works
6 Light
1. What is Energy?
The universe is made up of matter and energy. Matter- anything that has mass and takes up space- is pretty straight forward and easy to grasp, but energy is a bit more abstract.
Energy is the ability to do work, or the ability to move or elicit change in matter. In effect, the amount of energy something has refers to its capacity to cause things to happen.
Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed.
Antoine Lavoisier
Energy has a few important properties. For one, energy is always "conserved" — it cannot be created or destroyed. It can, however, be transferred between objects or systems by the interactions of forces. For example, the energy in vegetables is transferred to the people who digest them.
2. The Different Kinds of Energy
Did you know that there are different kinds of energy?
Here is a list of different kinds of energy and examples for each of them.
Mechanical (or kinetic) : wind, car moving, water flowing, a person running
Electrical: electric current, lightning, static electricity
Light: the sun, a light bulb, a fire
Chemical: digesting food, wood burning, petroleum burning
Thermal: the sun, your body, a fire
Nuclear: splitting atoms in a power plant, an atomic bomb
3. The Energy Flow on Earth
Energy travels between the different elements of the planet. For example, the sun gives its energy to plants by giving them the heat and light that they need to grow. In turn, the plants give energy to animals and humans when they are eaten. Dead organisms like plants and animals decompose to give energy to other plants and insects. If they are buried and compacted in the soil, they can also change into fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal.
4. Electricity
Electricity is energy produced by the movement of electrons.
An Electric Circuit
The Function of Each Component:
- The battery is the source of energy.
- The wires conduct energy.
- The switch terrupts and starts the flow of energy.
- The rubber around the wire is used to isolate from electricity.
5. How a battery works
To sum up:
- A battery is made up of stored chemical energy that transforms into electricity (chemical change).
- Electrons move from one part of the battery (anode) to the other (cathode).
- A barrier (electrolyte) ensures that the electrons do not travel directly to the cathode, but that they travel in the wire instead.
- The battery dies when the anode stops providing electrons.
6. Light
To Sum up:
Light is made up of waves and travels in a straight line.
Some waves are visible and others are invisible.
An object’s color is determined by which light waves it absobs and which it reflects.
Light absorption, reflection and refraction
To Sum up:
Reflection happens when light hits a smooth and shiny surface.
Absorbtion occurs when light hits rough surfaces and some of the light is taken in.
Refraction occurs when light bends as it passes from one substance into another.
Light Bulb
Wires
Switch
Battery
