Reflection Questions

Here are the terms that should be used to complete the reflection questions below for this module.

1. Two types of energy exist: potential (stored energy) and kinetic (energy in motion). Define them.
a. Potential Energy (stored energy) is the energy in matter, due to its position of the arrangement of its parts.
b. Kinetic Energy (energy in motion is the energy of a moving object.

2. Energy sources can be renewable, exhaustible, or inexhaustible. There are advantages and
disadvantages to each. Name them.
The advantages of exhaustible energy sources are (like all sources of energy) is that they allow things to work.
The disadvantages of exhaustible energy sources are that burning fossil fuel produces air pollution. Other
disadvantages of exhaustible energy include;
Acid rain that is contaminated by the by-products of combustion which condense in our atmosphere. This is a
disadvantage of exhaustible energy sources because acid rain kills plants, trees and pollutes ponds and lakes,
which also means that it kills the fish and it alters the ecosystem.
Air pollution that is created from burning fossil fuels, can cause lung cancer in humans.
Since Greenhouse gasses surround our planet, this prevents heat produced by the sun from escaping the earths
atmosphere as easily as it once did.
This greenhouse effect leads to climate change, which could cause melting of ice caps and changing
weather patterns.
Another disadvantage of exhaustible energy sources is that these sources are limited and cannot be replaced once theyre
gone. Some of these sources of energy are; oil, coal, and natural gas.

The advantages of inexhaustible energy is that these energy sources will never run out. Some of these types of
energy include solar energy, hydroelectric energy, geothermal energy and wind energy. All of these energy sources will
never run out because; solar energy is provided by the sun and the sun will never go away so therefore, we will never run
out of this kind of energy. Other advantages of inexhaustible energy sources are that these sources provide 3.5% of energy
in the united states, their effect on the environment includes minimal pollution or hazardous waste produced and is always
readily available, without mining or drilling.
There arent many disadvantages to inexhaustible energy sources because they will never run out. The only minor
disadvantage would be that they would create minimal amounts of pollution or hazardous waste products.

3. The six main forms of energy include solar or light radiation, thermal, electrical, mechanical,
chemical, and nuclear. Define them.
Light (Radiant) Energy is energy that can move through empty space. Examples of radiant energy are the sun and the stars
(which are very powerful sources of this kind of energy), and the light given off by light bulbs and campfires also are
forms of radiant energy.
Thermal Energy is energy that is created by the motion of atoms and molecules that occurs within an object. An example
of this kind of energy being formed is when you heat a pot of water on a stove. In this instance, the atoms and molecules
in the water are moving and this is what is known as thermal energy.
Electrical Energy is energy that comes from the electrons within atoms. Electrical energy can be generated at a power
plant or inside a battery and can power anything and everything from remote controlled cars to refrigerators. An example
of forms of this type of energy is lighting and static electricity.
Mechanical Energy is energy that moves objects from place to place. Mechanical energy is used daily when you kick a
ball or turn the pedals of a bicycle. Other examples include water flowing in a stream, tires rolling down a road, or sound
waves from a radio.
Chemical Energy is energy that is released by a chemical reaction. Examples of chemical energy are from when you eat
food, the food contains chemical energy which is then released to help digest the food in your body. Some physical forms
of chemical energy are the following; wood, coal, gasoline, and natural gas. These are all fuels that contain chemical
energy.
Nuclear Energy is energy that is contained in the nucleus of an atom. Nuclear energy is released when nuclei are split
apart into several pieces, or when they are combined to form a single, larger nucleus.

4. Energy efficiency and conservation are necessary in order to minimize pollution, improve
business/economy, reduce dependence on foreign sources, and reduce our carbon footprint to create a
sustainable world. Provide some examples.
Energy efficiency and conservation are important because some energy sources are non-renewable or
inexhaustible; meaning that they will run out or they cannot be replaced. Therefore, we need to monitor and think about
how much energy we are using so that these energy sources dont run out as fast (or dont at all because we get more). To
do this there are energy star products that can be bought that help conserve energy or use energy efficiently. There are
many different sections in which energy star, has their products. There are; building products, electronics, office
equipment, water heaters, battery chargers, lighting and fans, appliances, and heating and cooling; energy star product
categories. Within those categories, there are many energy star items that you can buy for your homes that will help to use
energy more efficiently. In the building products section you can buy things such as residential windows, doors and
skylights, roof products, and, seal and insulate. In the electronics section there are energy star Cordless phones, set-top
boxes and cable boxes, audio and videos, and even televisions. Office equipment energy star items can be used at your
office to help use energy efficiently as well. some office equipment that you can buy that are energy star items are
computers, digital duplicators, displays, imagining equipment, mailing machines, small network equipment, and
uninterruptible power supplies. There are also energy star water heaters as well that will save energy when they are used.
The different energy star water heaters are, high efficiency electric storage water heaters, water heater (high efficiency gas
storage) water heater (solar), water heater (whole home gas tankless) and there are also other water heaters that allow you
to conserve energy. There are also different outdoor that conserve energy, such as; different battery chargers, cordless
power tools, cordless yard care tools, handheld vacuums, and personal care products. Lighting and fan things like light
bulbs, fans (ceiling), decorative light strings, and light fixtures, all can be bought to use energy efficiently.

5. Energy can be transferred, or moved, from one object to another. Provide an example.
An example how energy can be moved from one object to another is when you walk or run on an elliptical. The
reason that this is an example of how energy is be transferred is because you transfer mechanical energy from your legs to
the steps on the elliptical. Then this energy allows the whole pedal to rotate which allows you to move in a walking
motion so that you get exercise.

6. Energy can be transformed, or changed, from one form to another. Provide an example.
An item that can transfer two different kinds of energy is a space heater. These transfer electrical energy into
thermal energy. When it is plugged in, the electrical energy from the outlet is used to power the heater and then the energy
is transferred into thermal energy which provides heat for the area that it is placed in.

7. The second law of thermodynamics states that not all energy is 100 percent efficient when it is
converted from one form to another. Please explain this.
All forms of energy can be converted into other forms of energy. These forms of energy do work that end up as
motion, light, or heat. Energy is used to power manufacturing light buildings, propel vehicles, and communicate
messages.

8. Work is measured in Joules and is defined as force acting over a distance. Power is measured in Watts
and is defined by how fast work is done. How are the two similar? Different?
Work and Power are similar because they both measure how things are done. Like work measures the force over
the distance which shows how much force is being used for the distance that it travels. Power measures how much power
is required for the task to be accomplished. They are different because even though they both measure the ways that things
are done, they way that they measure these things are different. Work measures how much work is performed by the item
and then power measures how fast the work is being done. Another difference between work and power is what they are
measured in. Work is measured in Joules and power is measured in Watts.

9. Engineers, designers, and engineering technologists are high demand for the development of future
technology to meet societal needs and wants. Explain why.
Engineers, designers and engineering technologists are high demand for this development of future technology
because technology is always advancing to make things easier to do. Things that have been innovated over time so far is
home phones. Theyve went from morse code to telephones to cell phones to being able to talk to people on your tablet
and even a quicker way to communicate by texting. In order to make these improvisations, engineers, designers and
engineering technologists are all needed. To continue to develop technology in the future, the people in these careers are
needed to meet those needs.