Fuels

Learning objectives
To learn that fuels
burn to release
energy
To consider
evidence from a
practical and make
a conclusion

Starter
Construct a mind
map of all the fuels
you know
Woo
d

Fuel
s

The ULTIMATE energy source

The sun is the ultimate source of all our
energy.
For example, we often get energy from beef:

BEEF comes from COWS,

COWS eat GRASS,
GRASS gets energy from
the sun

Food
Food gives us energy. The amount of energy it
contains is measured in joules (J).

Look at the different labels of food.

Find out which foods give you more energy.

Labels on food
Name/ type
of food

Energy
(kJ) or (J)

Fat
(g)

Conclusion:
1.Which food(s) give out the most amount of
energy.

How much energy?

Aim: To measure how much energy is released from
different foods
Equipment
Cork stand
Boiling tube
Clamp stand
Different foods
Tongs
Thermometer
Bunsen burner
Heatproof mat
Method
Pour 20 cm3 of water into the boiling tube, clamp the boiling tube and
thermometer as shown in the diagram.
Measure the temperature of the water, and write it in your table.
Hold one snack in the tongs and set fire to it in the Bunsen burner flame,
hold the burning food under the boiling tube of water, until it has
finished burning.
Use the thermometer to measure the highest temperature of the water
and write it in your table.

Planning and Predicting

In this experiment you will hold the burning food
under the boiling tube of water. Make a list of all
the things that you could measure.
You are going to compare the energy given out
by two pieces of food. How will you make it a
fair test? Write down what you will keep the
same.
Identify the variables
Construct a table to record your results

Name Temperature
Temperature
Rise in
of
of water at the of water at the temperatu
food
start
end
re

Considering the
evidence

Evaluating
How could you make
sure you would always
get the same results?

Do calculations to
help you decide
which food gave out Did you measure your
more heat energy
foods? If not, how
Draw a bar chart to
show your results.
Which food gave
out more energy?

could you have done

this?

The test might be more

fair if you thought
about the temperature
rise per gram of food.
Write down how you

would work this out.

Transferring Energy
Learning Objectives
State the different types of energy
Explain simple energy transfers
Starter
Pick an object
in the picture
and identify
the type of
energy. E.g.
stars and
moon are light
energy
Find as many
as you can!

Use the textbook to help you identify the

different types of energy. Complete in your
exercise book

Write down different

types of energy

Electrical
Kinetic
(movement)

Heat

Light
Nuclear

Write down different

types of energy

Chemical

Elastic
potential
Sound
Gravitational
potential

Which type of energy?

Energy changes
To describe an energy change for
a light bulb we need to do 3
steps:

1) Write down the

starting energy:

2) Draw an
arrow

Electricity

3) Write down
what energy
types are given
out:

Light + heat

What are the energy changes for the following?

1) An electric fire
2) A rock about to drop
3) An arrow about to be fired

What energy transfer takes place in each device?

burning match
portable torch
microphone
radio
television
catapult
mobile phone
car

chemical to heat and light

chemical to heat and light
sound to electrical
electrical to sound and heat
electrical to sound and light and heat
elastic to kinetic and heat
chemical to sound and microwaves
(EM radiation) and heat
chemical to kinetic and sound and heat

In all these transfers the energy is not lost, it is conserved.

Energy cannot be destroyed or created.

Energy flow diagrams

Diagram 1

Diagram 2

Diagra
m3

Practical - transferring energy

Aim: To identify the energy being transferred in
different toys and devices

Method
You will have nine
different devices set
up around the room.
In pairs you will work
out the energy transfer
at each workstation.

Results: record your results

in a table

Object

Energy
Transfer

Fossil Fuels
Learning
Objectives
Explain what
fossil fuels are
and where
they come
from

Discuss
renewable
and nonrenewable
energy
sources

Starter: match the fuel with where it

comes from (the table is wrong!)

Fuel

Where it comes from

Wood

Fermented from plant

material, which grows

Alcohol

Methane produced from

things which grow

Manure

From wood that is partially

burned in a limited air
supply

Charcoal

From trees, which grow

Biogas

From animals that eat

things, which grow

Fossil fuels

Coal

Oil

Gas

Where do fossils come

from?

Put these sentences in order so they describe

where fossils come from

The creatures were covered by layer

of sand and mud to become rock.
Finally, we can
use them as fuel.

Firstly, tiny sea creatures

died and sank to the sea floor.

The oil and gas are squeezed

out from the bottom.
Heat and pressure turns the remains of
the creatures into oil and gas.

Firstly, tiny sea creatures

died and sank to the sea floor.
The creatures were covered by layers
of sand and mud to become rock.
Heat and pressure turns the remains of
the creatures into oil and gas.
The oil and gas are squeezed
out from the bottom.
Finally, we can
use them as fuel.

How much
longer?

1. Copy the table below

and use the
information in the bar
chart to complete it
Fuel
Year
Numbe
when it
r of
will run years
out
fuel will
last

2. Write down two

reasons why there may
still be oil that we can
use after the year 2050
3. Make a list of ways in
which we can reduce the
amount of energy
resources that we need

How can we
save energy?

Energy Costs

Renewable energy sources

Wind
Hydro-electric
Wave

Tidal
Geother
mal
Bioma

Renewable or nonrenewable?

Different Fuels
Each person in your group takes a few cards (all
cards must be dealt out). Take it in turns to read out
the information on the card and put them into two
piles: renewable or non-renewable
Look at the renewable pile. Decide how long it would
take to get some more once you have burned all the
fuel you have. Put the cards in order, with the ones
that can be replaced most quickly at the top. Make a
list of the fuels in order with the heading
replacement time
Some renewable fuels only have to be collected,
others have to be made. Re-order your renewable
fuel cards with the easiest to make at the top and
the one that needs the most complicated technology
at the bottom. Make another list of the fuels in order,
with the heading ease of replacement

Label your house to show the

different ways to reduce heat being
lost from a house.