Exploring Energy: Energy Conversion
Most car engines convert chemical/potential energy into kinetic energy/motion, with a surprising amount energy "loss" along the way.Copyright Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052-6399 USA. All rights reserved. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=car&ex=1#ai:MP900438719|mt:2|
Students learn more about the concept of energy conversion, and how energy transfers from one form, place or object to another. They learn that energy transfers can take the form of force, electricity, light, heat and sound and are never without some energy "loss" during the process. Two real-world examples of engineered systems—light bulbs and cars—are examined in light of the law of conservation of energy to gain an understanding of their energy conversions and inefficiencies/losses. Students' eyes are opened to the examples of energy transfer going on around them every day. Includes two simple teacher demos using a tennis ball and ball bearings. A PowerPoint® presentation and quizzes are provided.
Energy conversions take place around us every day in many forms, including energy transfers in many engineered systems. Engineers routinely consider, examine and address issues of energy transfer/conversion and efficiency/loss with every invention, device and technology design they create. Engineers are always working on ways to make the energy transfer processes of power plants and distribution grids more efficient, too. In this activity, students consider the inefficiencies associated with the powering of light bulbs and cars, just as engineers involved in the design of these technologies do.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Explain the law of conservation of energy—that energy can neither be created nor destroyed.
- Identify energy conversion in some real-life examples.
- Identify general causes of energy loss.