Energy in food

Energy stored in food can be released by combustion(burning) or by respiration in

our cells. The labels on packets of food show how much energy is available from
the food.

A food label on a packet of naan bread. 215 calories is the same as 900 kJ.
The amount of energy available may be shown in a unit called the calorie, as in the
photograph. However, the scientific unit for energy is the ...............which has the
symbol J.
A lot of energy is available from most foods, so food labels usually show kJ
(kilojoules) instead of J:
1 kJ = 1000 J
For example, 2000 J = ...................kJ
To give you an idea of what 2 kJ can do, it is the energy needed to lift a 100 kg
mass by 2 m, or to keep a 20 W electric lamp alight for 100 seconds.
The table shows the typical amount of energy available from 100 g of several
different foods. The larger the number, the more energy is available.
 Food Energy in kJ per 100 g
Apple 140
Egg omelette 690
Bread 1080
Cheese 1360
Chocolate cake 1920
Potato crisps 2240

Brisk walking typically uses 14 kJ per minute. This means that:

 100 g of apple provides enough energy for a 10 minute walk (140 ÷ 14)

 100 g of potato crisps provides enough energy for a 160 minute walk (2240 ÷
14)
A typical adult woman needs around 8400 kJ per day. You could get this from just
375 g of potato crisps (fifteen 25 g bags).

Electrical appliances

........................is the rate at which energy is used. The unit of power is

the ..................., which has the symbol W.
1 W is 1 J per second. So, for example, a 20 W electric lamp uses 20 J of electrical
energy every second to stay alight.
Electrical appliances (TV sets, kettles and so on) have electrical rating plates on
them. These show the power rating of the appliance in W.
A rating plate on a 2000 W electrical appliance
Some appliances use a lot of energy per second – their power is very high. This
means that their power may be shown in kW (kilowatts) rather than W:
1 kW = 1000 W
For example, 2000 W = 2000 ÷ 1000 = 2 kW.
The table shows the typical power ratings of some electrical appliances, listed in
order of increasing power. Power is shown here in W and in kW so you can
compare the two units.
Appliance Power in W Power in kW
Clock 10
Lamp 50
Drill 800
Iron 1250
Kettle 2400
Hot water heater 3000

Electric oven 12000

Energy costs

In science, the unit used for energy is the joule, J. However, energy suppliers
(companies that provide electricity and gas) use a different unit. This is the
kilowatt hour, shown as kW hour or kWh.
One kWh is the same as the amount of energy used by a 1 kW appliance for 1
hour:

energy in kWh = power in kW × time in hours

1. 1. A 2 kW electric fire is used for 3 hours. Calculate the energy used in kWh.

2. A 40 W electric lamp is used for 45 minutes. Calculate the energy used in kWh.
Household bills

Household or domestic fuel bills include information about the energy used,
including:
 the number of kW hours used

 the cost of each kW hour

 the total cost of the energy used
Gas is usually cheaper per kWh than electricity.
The cost of the energy used can be calculated:

cost = energy used in kWh × cost of 1 kWh

Gas central heating is used for two weeks, using 320 kWh of energy. If 1 kWh of
gas costs 5p, calculate the cost of using the central heating.

A 3 kW water heater is used for 1 hour. If 1 kWh costs 16p, calculate the total cost
of using the water heater.
Test: Energy in the home
1

What is another name for burning?

Combustion

Respiration

Thermal decomposition

What is the correct unit for energy?

Calorie

Joule

Gram

3
Which of these foods has the most energy per 100 grams?
Apple

Omelette

Bread

Around how many kJ of energy does an adult need per day?

8400

4800

840
 5

What is the term that means the rate at which energy is used?
Speed

Power

Joule

What are the units of power?

Newtons

Watts

Joules

How can energy be released from food?

Combustion and respiration

Combustion only

Respiration only

8
How many watts are in a kilowatt?
10

100

1000

Which of these electric items uses the most power?

Clock

Drill

Oven
 10

What units do electrical suppliers use for energy?

kWh

kWmin

Joule\

Fossil fuels
We get energy from many different types of energy resources, including fuels,
food and stores of energy such as batteries or the wind. We can divide energy
resources into two categories:

 ......................... energy resources cannot be replaced once they are all used up
 ........................... energy resources can be replaced, and will not run out
Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy resources.

Fossil fuels
Crude oil, coal and gas are fossil fuels. They were formed over millions of years,
from the remains of dead organisms:
 coal was formed from dead trees and other plant material

 crude oil and gas were formed from dead marine organisms
Coal is a solid fossil fuel
Fossil fuels took a very long time to form and we are using them up faster than
they can be replaced. Once they have all been used up, they cannot be replaced.
Fossil fuels are therefore finite resources. They are no longer being made or are
being made extremely slowly.

Electricity from fossil fuels

About three-quarters of the electricity generated in the UK comes from power
stations fuelled by fossil fuels. Energy from the burning fuel is used to boil water.
The steam turns turbines, and these turn electrical generators. Unfortunately, the
use of fossil fuels releases pollution, including:
 carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas and increases global warming
 sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which cause acid rain
Nuclear fuels
Nuclear fuels release energy through nuclear reactions, rather than through
chemical reactions. The main nuclear fuels are uranium and plutonium. In a
nuclear power station, the energy released is used to boil water. The expanding
steam spins turbines, which then drive generators to produce electricity.

Sellafield in Cumbria, comprising Calder Hall, the world’s first commercial nuclear power
station

Advantages
 Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear fuels do not produce carbon dioxide or sulfur
dioxide.
Disadvantages
 Like the fossil fuels, nuclear fuels are non-renewable energy resources. They
will run out one day if we keep on using them.
 If there is an accident, large amounts of radioactive material could be
released into the environment. In addition, nuclear waste remains dangerously
radioactive and harmful to health for thousands of years. It must be stored
safely.
A tsunami (huge wave) damaged the nuclear power stations at Fukushima in Japan in 2011
Wind energy
The wind is produced as a result of large movements of air, driven by energy from the
Sun. This means that the ................................................. in wind is a renewable energy
resource. As long as the Sun exists, the wind will too.

Wind turbines
Wind turbines use the wind to drive turbines directly. They have huge blades mounted on
a tall tower. The blades are connected to a 'nacelle', or housing, which contains gears
linked to a generator. As the wind blows, it transfers some of its kinetic energy to the
blades, which turn and drive the generator.

The main features of a wind turbine

Advantages
 Wind is a renewable energy resource. There are no fuel costs and no harmful polluting
gases are produced.

Disadvantages
 Wind farms are noisy and may spoil the view for people living near them.

 The amount of electricity generated depends on the strength of the wind. If there is no
wind, there is no electricity.
Wind turbines grouped together to form a wind farm

Water energy

Like the wind, water can be used to drive turbines directly. There are several ways
that water can be used. These include waves, tides, and falling water in
hydroelectric power schemes.

Waves

The water in the sea rises and falls because of waves on the surface. Wave
machines use the kinetic energy in this movement to drive electricity generators.

Tides

Huge amounts of water move in and out of river mouths each day because of the
tides. A tidal barrage is a barrier built over a river estuary to make use of the
kinetic energy in the moving water. The barrage contains electricity generators,
which are driven by the water rushing through tubes in the barrage.

Hydroelectric power
Like tidal barrages, hydroelectric power stations use the kinetic energy in moving
water. But the water usually comes from behind a dam built across a river valley.
The water high up behind the dam has a lot of gravitational potential energy.
This is transferred to kinetic energy as the water rushes down through tubes inside
the dam. The moving water drives electrical generators, which may be built inside
the dam.

A dam holds back huge volumes of water

Advantages
 Water power in its various forms is a renewable energy resource.

 There are no fuel costs and no harmful polluting gases are produced.
 Tidal barrages and hydroelectric power stations are very reliable and can be
easily switched on.
Disadvantages
 It has been difficult to scale up the designs for wave machines to produce
large amounts of electricity.
 Tidal barrages destroy the habitats of estuary species, including wading birds.
 Dams flood farmland and push people from their homes.
 The rotting vegetation underwater releases methane, which is a greenhouse
gas.
Geothermal energy

Hot water and steam from deep underground can be used to drive turbines. This is
called geothermal energy.

Volcanic areas

Several types of rock contain radioactive substances such as uranium. These release energy,
which warms up the rocks. In volcanic areas, the hot rocks heat water, and this may rise to the
surface naturally as hot water and steam. Here the steam can be used to drive turbines and
electricity generators.

Hot rocks

In some places, the rocks are hot, but no hot water or steam rises to the surface. In this case, deep
wells can be drilled down to the hot rocks and cold water pumped down. The water runs through
cracks in the rocks and is heated up. It returns to the surface as hot water and steam. The diagram
shows how this works.

Geothermal energy can be used to generate electricity

 Advantages
 Geothermal energy is a renewable energy resource.

 There are no fuel costs and no harmful polluting gases are produced.
 The hot water and steam can be used to heat buildings directly.

Disadvantages
 Most parts of the world do not have suitable areas where geothermal energy can be
exploited.

Solar energy
The Sun is a renewable energy resource. As long as it exists and continues to shine, it will
release energy.

Solar cells
A solar cell is a device that converts light energy directly into electrical energy. Some pocket
calculators use solar cells, and you may have seen large panels of solar cells on house roofs.

Solar panels on the roof of a modern house

You may have seen solar cells powering road signs in remote areas. Very large arrays are used to
power satellites in orbit around Earth.
Solar heating
Do not confuse solar cells with solar panels, which use energy from the Sun to heat up water.
These may also be put onto house roofs so that they can absorb the Sun’s energy.

Advantages
 Solar energy is a renewable energy resource.
 There are no fuel costs and no harmful polluting gases are produced.
 Solar cells can provide electricity in remote locations where there is no mains electricity.

Disadvantages
 Solar cells are expensive and inefficient, so the cost of their electricity is high.
 Solar cells do not work at night and not as well when it is cloudy.

Test: Fuels and energy resources

1
Which of the following is a non-renewable energy resource?
Wind power

Biomass

Natural gas

2
Where did the energy stored in fossil fuels originally come from?
Plants

Sunlight

Animals

3
What is an advantage of wind power?
It doesn't work unless there is wind

It uses large wind turbines

It is a renewable energy resource

 4
Which of the following is a good way to reduce the use of fossil fuels?
Leaving the lights on when we leave a room

Leaving the TV on standby all night

Walking instead of going in a car

5
Which of these is a fossil fuel?
Biomass

Coal

Nuclear

6
When talking about fuels what does finite mean?
Will run out

Won't run out

May run out

7
What is an explanation for global warming?
Greenhouse effect

Respiration

Combustion

8
What gas causes acid rain?
Carbon monoxide

Sulphur dioxide

Carbon dioxide
 9
What is a disadvantage of nuclear fuels?
They produce heat

They don't produce carbon dioxide

Disposing of waste

10
What is a disadvantage of geothermal energy?
It can only be used in certain places

It produces carbon dioxide

It is a non-renewable energy resource

Stores of energy
Energy can be stored in different ways, including:
 kinetic energy
 internal energy
 elastic potential energy
 gravitational potential energy
 electrical energy
 magnetic energy

Kinetic energy
Moving things have kinetic energy. The more mass a thing has and the faster it moves, the more
kinetic energy it has. All moving things have kinetic energy, even very large things like planets,
and very small ones like atoms.

Internal energy

A hot cup of tea has more internal energy than a cold cup of tea
All objects have internal energy. This includes:
 energy caused by the movement of particles in the object, sometimes called thermal energy
 energy due to the bonds between particles, sometimes called chemical energy

Elastic potential energy

Some objects can change shape reversibly. Rubber balls, springs and elastic bands are like this.
When a rubber ball is stretched or squashed, it can regain its shape again. Elastic potential
energy is stored in stretched or squashed materials.

Elastic potential energy will be stored in this catapult when its bands are stretched

Gravitational potential energy

When an object is moved higher, it gains gravitational potential energy. The amount of energy
it gains depends upon:
 the mass of the object

 the extra height it gains

 the gravitational field strength
These rocks store gravitational potential energy because of their height above the ground

Electrical energy
Some objects carry electrical charges and create electric fields. These charged objects can exert
forces on each other. You get an electric current when charged particles move through a wire.

Magnetic energy
Some objects can be magnetised and create magnetic fields. They can exert forces on other
magnetised objects, or on magnetic materials.
The magnetic field created by this bar magnet is shown using iron filings

Energy transfers
Energy can transfer or move from one store to another in different ways. Devices such as lamps
and heaters may be involved, or processes such as combustion. For example, energy can be
transferred:
 by heating

 mechanically
 electrically
 by radiation

Heating
Some objects are hotter than others. Energy is transferred from the hotter object to the cooler
one, and the difference in temperature between them decreases.

Mechanical transfer
Energy can be transferred mechanically through the movement of the parts in machines, and
when the motion or position of an object changes. Sound waves and seismic waves (formed
during earthquakes) are mechanical waves that transfer energy through materials and from place
to place.

Mechanical waves in the air transfer energy from the vibrating drum to our ears

Electrical transfer
Energy is transferred when an electrical circuit is complete. A simple circuit may consist of a
battery, lamp and wires. Internal energy stored in the battery is transferred to moving charged
particles in the wire.

Transfer by radiation
Visible light, infrared light, microwaves and radio waves are forms of radiation. They are carried
by waves (although unlike sound, these are not mechanical waves and can travel through empty
space). Electric lamps and burning fuels transfer visible and infrared light to the surroundings.
Energy is transferred as light from these burning fireworks

Other common transfers

When an object falls the gravitational potential energy it possessed is converted to kinetic
energy. When it has fallen half of the way down, half of the energy will have been transferred
and so on.
Food contains internal energy stored in the bonds between particles. This is sometimes called
chemical energy. This is converted into the energy all living organisms need during respiration.
This conversion is similar to burning, for example wood. Here internal energy in the wood is
converted into heat and light given out by the flames.

Energy transfer diagrams

Energy transfer diagrams may be used to show the locations of energy stores and energy
transfers. For example, consider the energy transfers in this simple electrical circuit:
We can show the transfers like this:

The battery is a store of internal energy (shown as chemical energy). The energy is transferred
through the wires to the lamp, which then transfers the energy to the surroundings as light. These
are the useful energy transfers - we use electric lamps to light up our rooms.
But there are also energy transfers that are not useful to us. In the example above, the lamp also
transfers energy to surroundings by radiation as infrared light, which increases the temperature of
the surroundings. If we include this energy transfer (shown as thermal energy in the diagram),
the diagram looks like this:

Conservation of energy
In science, a system is a set of things and the processes that happen in them and between them.
Energy can be stored or transferred, but it cannot be created or destroyed. This means that the
total energy of a system stays the same. The idea that the total energy has the same value before
and after a change is called conservation of energy.
For example, an electric lamp might transfer radiant energy to the surroundings. Some of this
will be visible light and some will be infrared red light, which increases the temperature of the
surroundings. The amount of energy transferred from the lamp will be the same as the amount of
energy transferred into the lamp because energy can never be created or destroyed.

Sankey diagrams
You can show energy transfers in a Sankey diagram. In these diagrams, the thicker the line or
arrow, the greater the amount of energy involved.

A Sankey diagram for an electric lamp

Notice that 100 J of electrical energy is transferred to the lamp. Of this, 10 J is transferred to the
surroundings as light energy. The remainder, 90 J (100 J – 10 J) is transferred to the
surroundings as radiant energy that increases the temperature of the surroundings. Energy can
never be created or destroyed so the energy at the beginning (here 100 J) must equal the total of
the energy at the end (here also 100 J).
The energy transfer as light to the surroundings is the useful transfer. The rest is ‘wasted’ - it just
makes the surroundings warmer rather than helping you see where you are going. This ‘wasted’
energy eventually becomes so spread out that it becomes useless.
Heating and temperature
Temperature

A thermometer is used to measure the temperature of an object

The temperature of an object is to do with how hot or cold it is, measured in degrees Celsius.
Note that the unit of temperature is written as °C, (not °c or oC).
All objects contain internal energy. Some of this is due to the movement of the particles in the
object. When an object is heated, its particles move more vigorously and its internal energy
increases. Unless the object changes state (eg melts or boils), its temperature will increase.

Example 1
A swimming pool at 30°C is at a lower temperature than a cup of tea at 80°C. But the swimming
pool contains more water, so it stores more internal energy than the cup of tea.

Example 2
To boil water we must increase its temperature to 100°C. It takes longer to boil a large beaker of
water than a small beaker. This is because the large beaker contains more water and needs to
gain more internal energy to reach 100°C.
When heated, the temperature of a small beaker of water will increase faster than the temperature
of a large beaker of water

Thermal equilibrium
If there is a difference in temperature between two objects, energy is transferred from the hotter
object to the cooler one. This will continue until both objects are at the same temperature. When
they are at the same temperature, we say that they are in thermal equilibrium, and there is no
overall transfer of energy any more between the two objects.
Energy can be transferred from a hot object to a cooler one by:
 conduction (if they are touching each other)
 convection
 radiation

Conduction
When a substance is heated, its particles gain internal energy and move more vigorously. The
particles bump into nearby particles and make them vibrate more. This passes internal energy
through the substance by conduction, from the hot end to the cold end.
 A Bunsen burner flame heats the metal rod
1. 1

2. 2

3. 3
This is how the handle of a metal spoon soon gets hot when the spoon is put into a hot drink.
 A substance that transfers energy easily from the hot part to the cold part is called
a conductor. Metals are good conductors.
 A substance that does not transfer energy easily from the hot part to the cold part is called
an insulator. Air and plastics are insulators.

Convection
The particles in liquids and gases can move from place to place. Convection happens when
particles with a lot of thermal energy in a liquid or gas move, and take the place of particles with
less thermal energy. Thermal energy is transferred from hot places to cold places by convection.
As the hot air above a radiator rises it pushes cooler air away from it. The cooler air eventually
circulates back round to the radiator where it gets heated and the cycle continues.

Radiation
All objects transfer energy to their surroundings by infrared radiation. The hotter an object is,
the more infrared radiation it gives off.
No particles are involved in radiation, unlike conduction. This means that energy transfer by
radiation can work when objects are not touching, even in space:
 radiation is why we are warmed by the Sun, even though it is millions of kilometres away
in space
 infrared cameras give images even in the dark, because they are detecting infrared light, not
visible light
In this thermogram of a pan on a stove, the hottest parts are coloured white, yellow or red; the
coldest parts are coloured purple or black

Insulation
Take a look at this thermogram of a house. Its roof and windows are the hottest, showing that
most energy is lost from the house that way.
A thermogram of house, showing areas of heat loss
Energy is transferred from warm homes to the outside by:
 conduction through the walls, floor, roof and windows

 radiation from the walls, roof and windows

Ways to reduce energy transfer

There are some simple ways to reduce energy transfers from a house, including fitting:
 carpets and curtains

 reflective foil on the inside walls

 double glazing
Double glazing involves having two panes of glass in the window instead of just one. There is air
or an even better insulator such as argon gas between the two panes of glass. This reduces energy
transfer by conduction.
Energy loss through walls can be reduced using cavity wall insulation. This involves blowing
insulating material into the gap between the outside wall and the inside wall to reduce
conduction. Loft insulation works in a similar way.
Test: Energy stores and transfers
1
An object at rest on top of a shelf is likely to have:
No energy

Gravitational potential energy

Hydroelectric power

2
Batteries are stores of:
Chemical energy

Electrical energy

Light energy

3
Energy is usefully transferred from a personal audio player as:
Kinetic energy

Thermal energy

Sound energy

4
Which is likely to contain the most thermal energy?
A red hot horseshoe

A spark from a firework

An ice cube

5
Which is likely to have the highest temperature?
A red hot horseshoe

A spark from a firework

 An ice cube

6
Which type of energy transfer requires particles?
Conduction

Temperature

Radiation

7
Thermal energy is transferred by conduction from:
The hot end to the cold end

The cold end to the hot end

The Sun to the Earth

8
Which type of energy transfer can occur though a vacuum?
Conduction

Radiation

Convection

9
What type of energy is stored in a wind up toy?
Elastic potential

Gravitational potential energy

Heat

10
What type of diagram shows the efficiency of energy transfer?
Flow

Arrow
Sankey