1 Name___________________________________

PRE-TEST
Directions: Circle the letter indicating whether the following statements are either true ("T") or false
("F").

T F 1. The SI unit for energy and work is the newton.

T F 2. In a closed system matter is conserved.

T F 3. C6H12O6(s) + 6O2(g) –––> 6CO2(g) + H2O(l) + energy is the balanced chemical

equation for cellular respiration.

T F 4. The responding variable in a scientific investigation is also known as the

independent variable.

T F 5. Chemical reactions in which energy is a product are endothermic.

T F 6. A great deal of the carbon in the biosphere is stored in plant matter.

T F 7. Balanced chemical equations support the law of conservation of mass.

T F 8. Glucose is a form of potential energy.

T F 9. The kinetic energy of an object can be calculated using the equation Ek = mgh.

T F 10. In any energy conversion the useful energy output is equal to the energy input.

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GLOSSARY
Closed system – a system that exchanges only energy with its surroundings

Compost – a mixture of plant matter

Energy efficiency – the percent of input energy which is converted to a desired form of energy; useful
energy output

First law of thermodynamics – energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to
another

Friction – a force which opposes actual or potential motion

Isolated system – a system that exchanges neither energy nor matter with its surroundings

Kinetic energy – the energy an object or system has due to its motion

Law of conservation of mass – the law which states matter can neither be created nor destroyed; in a
chemical change this means the mass of the reactants and products are equal

Mechanical energy – the sum of kinetic and potential energy of an object

Open system – a system that exchanges energy and matter with its surroundings

Penstock – a closed water pipe controlled by valves and located between the intake and the turbine in a
hydroelectric plant

Potential energy – the energy of an object or system due to its position or condition, e.g., gravitational
potential energy, chemical potential energy

Second law of thermodynamics – heat always flows from matter at a higher temperature to matter at a
lower temperature

Thermal energy – the total energy of all the particles of a substance; changes in thermal energy are
measured as changes in temperature

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A VALIANT EFFORT

Check Blackline Master #2: Glossary for definitions of ”open system,” “closed system,” and “isolated
system.”

Check your understanding of this segment by completing the following. Use the back of the sheet if
necessary.
1. Identify the manipulated (independent), responding (dependent) and controlled variables in van
Helmont’s experiment.

2. Describe steps you could take to improve van Helmont’s design.

3. What did Newton mean when he said, “If I have seen farther than others, it is because I have stood on
the shoulders of giants.”

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SMOKE AND MATTERS

Write a balanced chemical equation for the decomposition of solid mercury(II) oxide into liquid mer-
cury and oxygen gas.
2HgO(s) + energy → 2Hg(l) + O2(g)
Write a balanced chemical equation for the combustion of magnesium metal to form solid magnesium
oxide.
2Mg(s) + O2(g) → 2MgO(s) + energy
Composting is a common method of disposing kitchen and yard wastes. The wastes are left to sit in
an enclosure for approximately one year; during this time they decompose into a rich compost which
can be used as fertilizer in gardens.
Many cities are now looking at composting on a large scale. They look to this method of disposal as a
way to reduce the amount of solid waste going into a landfill.
The city of Edmonton plans to have a co-composter operating by 1999. A co-composter will take
household wastes as well as sludge from sewage treatment.
The wastes will first go into a digester, where the composting process begins. Here the raw waste
will be slowly spun for three days and kept at a temperature of 55°C. After separating undigestible
materials the compost is spread on a curing floor. Here the compost is mixed and injected with air for
28 days.
This process will be complete in one month, far shorter than the time required for most home
composters. The quickness of this process is a result of careful regulation of temperature and mois-
ture and the high level of microorganisms present in sewage sludge. The compost will be used by a
utility company as fertilizer on reclaimed mine sites.
This method of recycling waste does pose some technological and aesthetic problems. The site will
impact on the neighbouring community, just as landfills do. There is the concern of increased traffic
to the facility, odour emitted by the process and the potential to attract rodents to the area. Some of
these difficulties are minimized if the composter site is adjacent to an existing landfill. Proponents
claim that careful monitoring of the process will virtually eliminate unpleasant odours. A location
next to a landfill allows for some, if not all, of the energy requirement for the process to be met by
methane recovered from the landfill site. A more difficult problem is posed by the accumulation of
heavy metals in sewage sludge. Recovery of these potential toxins is difficult; this limits the amount
of the compost which can safely be deposited on any particular parcel of land.
Check your understanding of this segment by completing the following. Use the back of the sheet if
necessary.
4. Review the procedure from the video and carry it out as follows:
Take two identical narrow-necked containers. Fill one with grass (or kitchen vegetable) cuttings that are
finely chopped; leave the other empty. Insert a thermometer in each and close the necks with cotton
wool. Record the temperature and place each in a convenient location. Check the temperature after 24
hours and again after 48 hours.
a. Predict which container will have a greater temperature.
b. Temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of individual
molecules of an object or substance. If you predicted different temperatures,
explain what caused the difference in average kinetic molecular energy.
c. Identify the manipulated, responding and controlled variables in this
investigation.
5. The grass clippings investigation can help us understand the workings of a composter. Suggest how
the investigation could be adjusted to test the effects of air circulation on composting.
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5a Name___________________________________

ENERGY ON THE MOVE

Anything with mass that is moving is said to have kinetic energy. The amount of energy depends upon the mass and the
speed of the object. We can calculate the kinetic energy using the formula:
Ek = 1 mv2 Where: m is mass in kilograms
2
v is speed in metres per second

Examples Ek is kinetic energy in joules

1. Jennifer is riding her bicycle at a constant 3.0 m/s. Together they have a mass of 66.8 kg. Calculate the kinetic energy
of Jennifer and her bicycle.
given: m = 66.8 kg
v = 3.0 m/s
solution: Ek = 1 mv2
2
m 2
Ek = 1 (66.8 kg)(3.0 )
2 s
Ek = 300.6 kg • m
2

s2
Ek = 300.6 J
Ek = 3.0 × 102 J
Note: • The final answer is rounded to two significant digits, the least number of digits provided in the given
information.
• A kg • m2 is equivalent to a newton metre, which equals a joule.
2

s
2. What is the mass of an object which has 1.0 kJ of kinetic energy while travelling at 18 m/s?
given: Ek = 1.0 kJ or 1.0 × 103 J
v = 18 m/s
solution: Ek = 1 mv2 multiply both sides by 2
2
2Ek = mv2 divide both sides by v2
2Ek = m
v2
2(1.0 × 103 J)
m =
m 2
(18
s )
m2
2.0 × 103 kg •
m = s2
m2
324
s2
m = 6.173 kg
m = 6.2 kg

Note: The equation is first rearranged to solve for the unknown variable, then we substitute the given values. The
answer is rounded to the correct number of significant digits.

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ENERGY ON THE MOVE

Check your understanding of this segment by completing the following. Use the back of the sheet if
necessary.
6. Find the kinetic energy of a 0.50 kg baseball that is travelling at 7.2 m/s.

7. A teenager, enthusiastically walking to science class at 2.8 m/s, has a kinetic energy of 210 J. Calcu-
late her mass.

8. Rearrange the kinetic energy equation to solve for speed.

Hints: 1. Your final expression should have speed on one side of the equal
sign and everything else on the other side.
2. When solving for a squared variable you must take the square root.

9. Use your equation from question 8 to find the speed of an 800 kg car that has a kinetic energy of 350
kJ.

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POTENTIAL ENERGY

Where does kinetic energy come from?

The kinetic energy of an object is energy due to its motion.

Gravitational potential energy Ep is energy due to position. It depends upon the mass of an object and the height of that
object above a certain reference level. Most often that reference level is the surface of Earth, though it could be anywhere.
We can calculate gravitational potential energy using the formula:
Ep = mgh Where: m is the mass in kilograms
g is the acceleration due to gravity in metres per second squared
h is the distance from the reference level in metres
Ep is the gravitational potential energy in joules

Examples
1. The rose-coloured ball seen in the video has a mass of 0.08274 kg; it was on the counter 0.916 metres above the refer-
ence level – the floor. Find its gravitational potential energy.
given: m = 0.08274 kg
g = 9.81 m/s2
h = 0.916 m
solution: Ep = mgh
m
Ep = (0.08274 kg)(9.81 s2 )(0.916 m)
Ep = 0.743498 kg • m
2

s 2
Ep = 0.743 J

Note: Significant digit rules require rounding this answer to three significant digits.

2. How high above the surface of Earth must a hang glider be to have a gravitational potential energy of 1.0 × 104 J? The
pilot and glider have a combined mass of 95 kg.
given: m = 95 kg
Ep = 1.0 × 104 J
g = 9.81 m/s2

solution: Ep = mgh divide both sides by mg

Ep
h =
mg
m2
1.0 × 104 8 •
h = s2
m
(95 8 )(9.81 2)
s

h = 10.73 m
h = 11 m

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POTENTIAL ENERGY

Check your understanding of this segment by completing the following. Use the back of the sheet if
necessary.
10. A ping-pong ball and a billiard ball are motionless on a table. Which one has greater gravitational
potential energy? Explain your answer.

11. What is the gravitational potential energy of a 454 g bag of sugar on a shelf 1.5 m above the floor?

12. Rearrange the gravitational potential energy equation, solving for mass.

13. What is the gain in gravitational potential energy of a 65 kg hiker who travels
3.0 km and gains 650 m in elevation from where she began?

14. A second hiker travels the same path and gains 4.8 x 105 J of energy. What is the mass of this hiker?

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A JOULE OF AN IDEA

Review the equation Q = m∆t in your Data Booklet and identify the quantity represented by each term.
Q = quantity of thermal energy (J), m = mass (kg), c = specific heat capacity (J/g˚C),
∆t = change in temperature (˚C)

James Prescott Joule provided an exact value of the work required to raise the temperature of water by
one degree. Because he worked in Britain at a time when the imperial measurement system was used,
he reported that 772 foot-pounds of energy were required to raise the temperature of one pound of
water by one degree Fahrenheit. It was the first quantitative demonstration that mechanical energy
could be converted to thermal energy.

Joule’s Apparatus The demonstration shown in the video is far simpler than
Joule’s work. Joule’s experiments required the most
advanced thermometers available. He measured tempera-
tures to the nearest one thousandth of a degree. His
apparatus was designed so that the water was in an
enclosed container with stationary and revolving paddles.
This design caused sufficient friction so that the attached
weights fell at a constant rate. In that way their gravita-
falling container with falling
tional potential energy was converted to thermal energy of
weight paddles and water weight
the water.

Check your understanding of this segment by completing the following. Use the back of the sheet if
necessary.
15. You can see evidence that mechanical energy can be converted to thermal energy using a very
simple apparatus. Follow this procedure to see for yourself.
Fill a jar with a screw-top lid nearly full of dry sand. In the lid, make a hole large enough to fit a
thermometer through, and insert a thermometer. Wait a few minutes and observe and record the tem-
perature. Shake the jar for five to 10 minutes! Record the temperature once again.
a. Describe the initial and final forms of energy in this experiment.
b. Does this experiment provide evidence that energy cannot be created or
destroyed, only converted?

16. The average human body contains about 4 to 6 L of blood, of which approximately 50% is water.
Normal body temperature is 37˚C. The phrase, “That makes my blood boil!”, as an expression of one’s
exasperation, is often heard. Assuming a blood volume of 5.0 L, and the mass of 1 L of water is 1 kg
exactly, calculate the energy required to bring the water content of blood to 100˚C using the formula Q
= mc∆t.

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8 Name___________________________________

ENERGY
Think about cooking a hot dog over an open fire. What is useful energy and what is waste energy in this
case?
The useful energy is the heat that goes into cooking the hot dog. The rest becomes light and thermal energy of the
air and other nearby bodies. We consider this waste energy because we did not make use of the potential energy of
the fuel in these forms.

Useful energy is the amount of the available energy that is converted to an intended form of energy. For
example, a light bulb is usually intended to produce light. But most incandescent light bulbs (the most
common light bulbs) are only about 40% efficient, meaning only 40% of the electric energy they use gets
converted to visible-light energy. What happens to the other 60%? The bulb, and its surroundings, get
very hot – the energy is converted to thermal energy.
Some buildings are designed to capture this thermal energy and use it to heat the building.
In that case, even though the bulb uses only 40% of the energy for lighting, the other 60% is not wasted.

Check your understanding of this segment by completing the following. Use the back of the sheet if
necessary.
17. Compare and contrast the flow of heat with the process of diffusion.

18. Identify the initial and final energy forms when:

a. water falls through the penstock of a hydroelectric dam, and

b. photosynthesis occurs.

19. State the first law of thermodynamics.

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9a Name___________________________________

POST-TEST
MULTIPLE CHOICE
Directions: Decide which of the choices best completes the statement or answers the question, then
circle the letter that corresponds to your choice. (3 marks each)

1. In a scientific investigation the responding variable is also known as the

a. controlled variable
b. dependent variable
c. manipulated variable
d. independent variable

2. The generalization known as the law of conservation of mass was first proposed by

a. Jan van Helmont

b. James Joule
c. Antoine Lavoisier
d. Isaac Newton

3. In plants, carbon is stored in

a. starch
b. glucose
c. cellulose
d. all of the above

LONG ANSWER
Directions: Answer the following questions in the spaces provided. Use the back of the sheet if
necessary.

1. What did van Helmont not consider when he set up his experiment? (4 marks)

2. Lavoisier heated mercury(II) oxide to produce mercury and oxygen in a closed system. For
safety reasons, in the video magnesium was burned to produce magnesium oxide in a closed system.
Write a balanced chemical equation for these two reactions. (8 marks)

________________________________________________________________________

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9b Name___________________________________

POST-TEST
3. What did the two experiments, referred to in question 2., demonstrate? (4 marks)

4. Three ways in which forests return carbon dioxide to the biosphere are: (6 marks)

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

________________________________________________

5. The formula used to calculate the kinetic energy of an object is _______________________. (3

marks)

6. A student on roller blades is moving at 4.00 m/s. Her total mass, including the roller blades and
safety equipment, is 57.2 kg. Calculate her kinetic energy. (6 marks)

7. Describe the energy conversion which occurs when a tennis ball is dropped from waist height to
the ground. (3 marks)

8. A young child, with a mass of 20.5 kg, is sitting on top of a 2.00 m high playground slide. Calcu-
late the child's gravitational potential energy relative to the ground. (6 marks)

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POST-TEST
9. Identify the input energy and the output energy in the following energy conversions: (9 marks)

a. A remote controlled car power by a 9.0 volt battery.

_____________________________________________________________________

b. A cyclist coasting downhill.

_____________________________________________________________________

c. A log burning.

_____________________________________________________________________

10. Two common materials used to produce ethanol, an alternative fuel for cars, are
__________________________ and ______________________________. (4 marks)

11. The 500-g counterweight of a cuckoo clock at the top of its run has a gravitational potential
energy of 7.36 J relative to the floor. How high above the floor is the counterweight. (8 marks)

12. How is the energy stored in fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, relate to the energy stored in a tree
trunk? (6 marks)

13. The first law of thermodynamics is also referred to as a statement of the law of
_____________________________, it states _____________________________________
_________________________________________________________________ (6 marks)

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POST-TEST

14. James Prescott Joule determined the mechanical equivalent of _______________________. De-
scribe his experimental design. (9 marks)

15. The second law of thermodynamics states that heat _________________________________

__________________________________________________________________. A
consequence of this, and an alternative way of stating the second law, is that ____________
________________________________________________________________________. (6 marks)

16. Heat is defined as the transfer of energy due to a ________________________________. (3 marks)

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