Potential and Kinetic Energy

What is Energy?
• The ability to cause change
 Energy notes entry # 4 11/5
Potential Kinetic
Energy Energy
Definitions

Dependent
on…
Examples

Forms of
 Potential Energy
Definition Examples
• Potential Energy is stored • Batteries
energy. It is not energy in • Gasoline
motion. • Food
• Potential energy is • Plant on a windowsill
dependent on its position
(location) and its condition • Acorn hanging on a tree
(new battery vs. used
battery.)
 POTENTIAL ENERGY
• Things have energy depending on where they are
(position/ location).
The penny has LOTS of potential
energy; the rock doesn’t.

penny

flowers
rock
Empire State
Building
 Common Uses
• Potential energy is stored energy so it is used
to “run” many things for example
– Gasoline “runs” cars

– Batteries “run” our

toys
 Common Uses
• Food is our potential energy and it helps us
survive and do activities.
 FORMS OF POTENTIAL ENERGY
• Chemical (food, gasoline)
• Nuclear (fusion & fission)
• Gravitational (position or place)
• Stored Mechanical (stretched rubber band)
 Understanding Check
• Tell the person next to you: Why do these people
have potential energy?
Choose one of the following sentence frames. Using
your science journal, fill in the blanks using what you
know about potential energy.
• ___________ can be described as
________________.
• Characteristics (components) of
_____________include _______________ and
__________________.
• __________ is widely acknowledged as
___________ and exhibits
_______________________.
Please grab your science journals!
 Kinetic Energy
Definition Examples
• Energy in the form of • Person running
motion • Bicycle wheel spinning
• Kinetic energy is dependent • Frisbee flying in the air
on mass and speed. The
greater the mass and speed
the more kinetic energy the
object has
 KINETIC ENERGY
Things have energy depending on how fast they move.

Which has more kinetic energy?

 FORMS OF KINETIC ENERGY
• Sound
– Travels in waves, JUST LIKE IN THE OCEAN
– Has to have something to travel through.

Energy traveling through AIR

 FORMS OF KINETIC ENERGY
• Radiant
– Also travels in waves
– DOESN’T need anything to travel through

Earth

Sun
Energy traveling through SPACE
 FORMS OF KINETIC ENERGY
• Electrical
– When electrons move.
– lightning and electricity are kinetic
energy.
EXAMPLES OF KINETIC ENERGY

Sound Dancing

Light Electricity
 Understanding Check
• Tell the person next to you: How do you know he
has kinetic energy?
Choose one of the following sentence frames. Using
your science journal, fill in the blanks using what you
know about kinetic energy.
• One example of ____________ is
______________.
• Characteristics (components) of
_____________include _______________
and __________________.
• Frequently associated with _________,
___________ is understood as
____________.
 Comparing and Contrasting Potential
and Kinetic Energy
• There are many different types of energy. The
two main types of energy are potential and
kinetic energy.
• How are these two types of energy alike
(compare) and how are they different
(contrast)?
Use one of the following types of graphic organizers to
compare and contrast Potential energy and Kinetic
energy
Potential Kinetic
Alike Alike

Different

Different

Potential Kinetic
 When you are done with your graphic organizer,
answer the following questions on a separate sheet of
paper to be turned into me as your ticket out the door
1. Use and example (not given in the
PowerPoint presentation) to explain how
potential energy can transform into kinetic
energy.
2. Why is understanding potential energy and
kinetic energy important to understanding
motion (movement)?
ENERGY DAY 2
 Warm up
• Today we are going to warm up with a few science
demonstrations (and short play time)
• Please set up your science journals with the following data
table (using a ruler is optional)
Activity When does it have When does it have
potential energy? kinetic energy?

Poppers
Ping Pong poppers
Rattle backs
Gyro rings
Astroblaster
 Button Whizzer lab
• Learning target: to observe how potential and
kinetic energy can be transferred, stored and
released
ENERGY DAY 3
Warm up
 Law of conservation of energy
• Energy is neither created nor destroyed. It
just changes from one form to another. You
always have the same amount of energy in a
system. No more no less!
 What does this really mean?
• New concept: Law of Conservation of energy
• Example Sentence:
Definitions: Essential characteristics
.

Examples: diagrams
. .

. .

. .

. .
 Conservation of Energy
• This means that kinetic energy can turn into
potential energy which can turn into kinetic energy which
can turn into potential energy which can turn into kinetic energy which can turn into potential energy
which can turn into kinetic energy which can turn into potential energy……..

Kinetic Potential
 CONVERSION

From http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/science/formsofenergy.html
LAVA LAMP
 LAVA LAMP
Kinetic: Electricity, Light, Heat, Motion

KE: Motion Potential: stored energy in the wax, which

isn’t transformed.
KE: Heat

KE: Electricity
KE: Heat
KE: Light
 Energy Flow
1. Kinetic energy in the form of electricity enters the lamp
through the outlet and cord.
2. A bulb turns this electricity into another form of kinetic
energy: light. The light flows into the room.

3. This light also creates heat, yet another form of kinetic

energy.
4. The heat flows into the room, and also melts the wax
inside the lamp, making it move.
5. The same amount of energy that went into the lamp
comes out of the lamp in 3 different forms: light, heat, and
motion.
Energy Flow
Electricity

Light
THE
ROOM
Heat

Motion
 LAVA LAMP Energy Flow
Electricity

Light
KE: Motion THE
Heat ROOM
KE: Heat

Motion

KE: Electricity
KE: Heat
KE: Light
 Consider:
The yo-yo.
 The Yo-Yo
PE: height, string PE: height, string

PE: height, string PE: height, string

KE: motion KE: motion

KE: motion
Potential: height, wound string

Kinetic: yo-yo falling & rising

 Energy Flow
Height Wound String

Motion
 Energy Flow
1. The Yo-Yo has only potential energy at the beginning.
There are two kinds: potential energy because of height, and
the wound string.
2. As the yo-yo drops, the potential energy is transformed
into the kinetic energy of the yo-yo moving.
3. When it is halfway down, the yo-yo has the same amount
of potential and kinetic energy.

4. When the yo-yo gets to the bottom all the potential energy
has turned into kinetic energy.

5. As the yo-yo comes back up the string the process is

reversed. Kinetic energy is transformed back into potential
energy (the wound string, and height).
 Let’s practice together
1. What types of energy?
2. How does energy flow?
3. Concept map of energy
flow.
4. Describe the flow of
energy.

1. Kinetic energy, Chemical Potential energy, thermal

energy, light (radiant) energy, electrical energy
2. Kinetic (motion), chemical potential (batteries),
electrical (wires connecting to light) thermal(from
light and wires), light (given off into the room)
3. KE CPE electrical thermal light
The Room
 Can we fill more of this in?
• New concept: Law of Conservation of energy

Definitions: Essential characteristics

.

Examples: Diagrams
. .

. .

. .

. .
 Energy Flow
1. Pick an object and sketch it

2. Identify the types of energy that your object uses.

3. Draw arrows on your object to show the flow of energy.

4. Make a chart/concept map of the energy flow.

5. Write a SHORT paragraph describing the energy flow. How

does this show that energy isn’t created or destroyed, it just
changes?
ENERGY DAY 4
 Thermal Energy
• We call this heat.
• Actually the internal energy in substances .
• As molecules and atoms within substances
move around this is what causes thermal
energy.
• The faster the movement, the greater the
amount of thermal energy.
 Hard to understand?
• Think about when you • Muscles move
are running, what • Start to sweat
happens the more you • Temperature increases
move?
• Basically you are
converting kinetic
energy (motion) into
thermal energy (heat)
by moving the
molecules that make up
your body
 Other Examples of Thermal Energy (Heat)

• Geothermal energy
• Friction
• Stoves/ ovens
• Fire
 Quick Demonstration
• Rub your hands together
– What do you notice?
• Move faster and then slow down
– Do you notice a difference?
Choose one of the following sentence frames. Using
your science journal, fill in the blanks using what you
know about thermal energy.
• When ___________ is added,
___________increases.

• ________ has been caused by _______, thus

__________.

• _______ has/have caused _______. Which, in

turn, results/resulted in____________.
 How does Heat Travel
• Heat always transferred from hot items to cold
items.
• Hot soup refrigerator
• Hot spoon ice cream
• Warm soda Ice cubes

Remember the hotter something is, the faster the

molecules and atoms are moving which means
more energy. This energy overcomes the cooler
things that have less energy. It transfers energy
into them which heats them up.
 Demonstrations
• Place one hand on the table- what do you
feel?
– Your hand is transferring heat from your hand to
the table.
• Ring and ball (demo)
• Hand boilers
• Fortune fish
• Thermo boards
Conservation of energy lab