8 GRADE

TH

ENERGY
UNIT
 What is ENERGY?

• ENERGY – The ability to do work or

create a change.
– Law of Conservation: Energy is neither
created nor destroyed…only changes form
& position.

• WORK – Force exerted on an object

(matter) that causes it to move…energy
is needed!

• W : force x distance moved =

____joules
 Kinetic Energy

• Kinetic Energy (KE) – The

energy of an object due to its
motion.
• How to find kinetic energy:
KE: Mass of object x Velocity ² ÷ 2
=____Joules
 Potential Energy / GPE

• Potential Energy – Energy that

is stored and held in readiness.
– Gravitational Potential Energy
(GPE) – Potential energy that depends
on the height of object from surface.
• GPE: height of object (h) x mass (m) =
 LAB Reviews

• Transfer of energy means to pass

energy from one place to another
(one object to another) without
changing forms.

• Transformation of energy means

that energy has changed from one
form to another.
 Ball & Ramp

GPE Less GPE = less speed = less KE

KE

GPE
KE

More GPE = higher speed = more KE

GPE
KE

GPE
KE
Passing energy along…

The KE from the ball was transferred

(passed) to the Styrofoam cup…the ball
lost KE and the cup gained KE…Work
was done!! (Cup absorbed the KE from
ball)
Transfer & Transformation

TRANSFER
•Air particles
•Surface (ramp & floor)
GPE
KE
•Cup

KE
GPE

TRANSFORMATION
 Pendulum demonstration

GPE GPE
KE
KE

GPE
KE

GPE
KE

GPE
GPE
KE GPE KE
KE
• Transformation of Energy GPE KE GPE again…
 Roller Coaster

‘W’ has the greatest GPE, so ‘X’ will have the

greatest KE. The rest of the roller coaster ride
will run fine because it has enough initial KE to
make it over the rest of the smaller hills.
 Energy transfer
(absorbed) – activity #5
• How does type of surface affect
energy transfer?

– Surfaces whose particles are tightly

packed can only absorb a little bit of
energy at a time (many bounces)

– Surfaces whose particles are loosely

packed can absorb more energy at a
time (less bounces)
 Bouncing Ball

GPE
KE

GPE
KE

Floor
accepts less Cardboard accepts
energy at a more energy at
time… more dense a time…less dense
Activity #7 (transfer of
energy)
KE is transferred from
person rope wood.
 Activity #7
(transformation of energy
Because of FRICTION between the
rope and wood, the KE transformed
into heat !!

HOT
Phase Change Particle Model

Low KE medium KE High KE

Phase change names

melting vaporization

freezing condensation
 Phases of Matter
• Melting – Phase change from solid to liquid.
Increased KE of particles from added energy

• Vaporization – Phase change from liquid to gas.

Lots of KE from added energy.

• Condensation – Phase change from gas to liquid.

Less KE of particles from loss (transfer) of energy.

• Freezing – Phase change from liquid to solid.

Very low KE of particles.
 Activity #8 (phase
change)
In this activity, energy was added to the ice which caused increased KE
and then phase changes. The reason the graph has areas where
temperatures don’t rise is because the energy at that point is not used to
heat the substance, but rather change the phase…then heating
continues.
 What is Thermal
Energy?
• The TOTAL energy of all the
particles that make up a substance
(matter).

• 3 Factors to find thermal energy:

1. Temp.
2. Amount (mass or volume)
3. Phase (solid, liquid, or gas)
 Temperature

• Thermometers measure
temperature…

• Temperature measures the

“average KE” (motion) of
particles that make up a
substance.
 What is heat ?

• Heat is the actual transfer of Thermal Energy.

When Thermal Energy is transferred from one
place to another, we call it “heat.”

Thermal energy gets

transferred to the air,
then to the person
(HEAT).

Fire has LOTS

of Thermal
Energy
 Transformation of Energy
examples…
• Engine = chemical kinetic

• Heater = chemical heat

• Solar = radiant electrical

• Battery = chemical electrical

• Food = chemical heat / KE

• Photosynthesis = radiant chemical

 Energy Chains

• Energy can transfer & transform.

• This reaction forms “energy chains”,
where we can map out the transfer &
transformation of energy. We usually
start with the Sun
Phases of Matter
 What becomes of KE?

What becomes of KE after it transfers?

• When KE transfers from one place to

another through physical contact, it not
only gives the energy of motion, but
also transforms into heat energy!

• Friction – A resistance between 2 or

more particles or objects causes KE to
transfer.
 Different Temperature
Scales

Absolute Zero K:
Point at which all
motion has
stopped…no energy!!
 Force

• In order for KE to be transferred or

transformed, there must be
something making “matter”
accelerate or change direction.
• Force = is a push or pull that
causes a substance with mass
(takes up space) to accelerate in a
certain direction.
» Force can change amount of friction!!!
 Thermal Expansion &
Contraction

• In physics, thermal expansion is

the tendency of matter to change
in length or volume in response to
a change in temperature. When a
substance is heated, its particles
move around more vigorously and
by doing so generally maintain a
greater average separation. This
requires more space!!
 1st Law of
Thermodynamics

• States that energy is neither

created nor destroyed…it is just
passed along and/or transformed
(conservation of energy).

– All the energy that is in the universe

right now can only change position or
form!
 2nd Law of
Thermodynamics

• Thermal energy flows (heat)

spontaneously from a warmer body to a
cooler one.

• One cannot transfer or transform heat

completely into useful work, some of
the energy becomes unusable…

• Every isolated system becomes

disordered in time (entropy).
 3 ways Thermal Energy
transfers (heat)

1. CONDUCTION

2. CONVECTION

3. RADIATION
 CONDUCTION
• Process where heat energy is transferred by
physical contact through a substance. Particles of
a substance have to touch each other to pass heat
from warmer to cooler.
Cooler area,
gaining KE…
warming up

Warmer area,
Lots of KE

Collision of
particles
Conductor vs. Insulator

• Conductor – A substance that

allows heat to transfer through it.

• Insulator – A substance that does

NOT allow heat to transfer to the
cooler area easily.
 Insulators
Fire gear: keeps Space suit keeps Ice actually slows the
heat from skin heat from sun transfer of heat from
exposure minimal inside to outside
 CONVECTION
• Transfer of heat by circulation or movement
of the hot particles to cooler areas. Warmer,
less dense fluids rise, while cooler, more
dense fluids fall and replace.

Warm, less
dense air Cool, more dense
rises…cools air falls…warms
again
 RADIATION
• Energy that travels through the emptiness of
space…does not need particles to transfer
(medium). Travels by electromagnetic
waves away from a heat source.
 Investigation #11
Conduction
• Purpose / Question:
– To observe how HEAT energy moves
by conduction.

– Do some substances allow heat

energy to conduct better than others?
• Background Knowledge:
– Look at the demonstration. Which
spoon would you pick up first?

metal or plastic

– Why?
• Hypothesis:
– Rods with more mass will (allow / not
allow) heat to transfer well.

– Rods with less mass will (allow / not

allow) heat to transfer well.
• Experiment
Materials:
– Solid rods (aluminum, steel, brass, glass)
– Hollow rods (brass & aluminum)
– 2 clothes pins
– Candles
– Large paper
– 2 blocks
– Timer
– Safety goggles!!!
Procedure
1. Find the mass of each type of rod (g) and
record in data table.
2. Be very precise in measurements!

Metal
Rod
• 3. Take one rod (save glass rod for
last) and line it up on template.
• 4. Using the marker, place a line where
the 3 globs of wax will be resting &
flame line.
– Flame line = 3inches from edge.
– Wax 1 = 2 inches from edge.
– Wax 2 = 1 inch from edge.
– Wax 3 = very edge of rod.
FLAME Wax 1 Wax 2 Wax 3

ROD
• 5. Light big candle and allow wax to
run off and drip onto the designated 3
areas for wax globs (edge, 1in., and 2
in.)
• 6. Use the clothes pins to suspend the
bar above the surface.
• 7. stack 2 blocks & place a lit candle
directly under the inner-most marked
line on bar.
• 8. Once flame hits the bar, start timing.
• 9. You are looking for how long it takes
each glob of wax to start melting.
• 10. Write observation times in data
table.
 Final set-up for
Investigation #11
 CONDUCTION
• Process where heat energy is transferred
by physical contact through a substance.
Particles of a substance have to touch
each other to pass heat from warmer to
cooler. Cooler area,
gaining KE…
warming up

Warmer area,
Lots of KE

Collision of
particles
 What is Radiation?

• All energy, typically from a light

source like a star (Sun) that
transfers energy without a medium
(but can transfer some through
liquids & gases)

– A medium refers to anything made

up of particles (solids, liquids, gases)
 Color affects absorption

Black bodies: Summer clothing: white reflects

radiant energy better than black.

Until equilibrium is reached, white

stripes on roads are at a lower
temperature than black asphalt.

Wrap an ice-cube in black cloth

and another in aluminum foil and
place both in the sunshine. What
will happen?
 What are Waves?

• A wave is a disturbance when

energy is transferred through a
‘medium’.
– Medium is what energy is passing
through (solid, liquid, gas, etc…)
• This disturbance can cause the
medium to become displaced
– Sometimes permanently
– Sometimes temporarily
 2 Categories of Waves
• 1.) Mechanical Waves – Energy that
requires a “medium” to transfer.
Earthquakes
send enormous
Sound is just amounts of
vibrations of air energy through
particles hitting matter.
each other.

• 2.) Electromagnetic Waves (EM) – Energy

that does NOT need a “medium” to transfer

Heat & light

 Type of Waves

3. Surface Waves – Combinations of

transverse & longitudinal waves,
causing a circular motion of particles.
This occurs between 2 mediums
(water & air).
 Types of Waves cont…

Transverse Wave – Waves that move

the medium at “right angles” to the
direction in which the energy is
traveling.

Direction of energy flow

The medium Medium being disturbed

by the energy
 Parts of a Transverse
Wave
Frequency (1second time = Hz)

Crest

amplitude

Medium

Trough
Wavelength
(λ)
 Types of Waves cont…
2. Longitudinal Waves – Waves that
moves the particles of the medium
“parallel” to the direction the energy
is traveling. (SOUND)
Energy
 Amplitude

• – maximum displacement of
the medium as energy
passes.
 Crest & Trough

• - The section of the wave that

rises above the undisturbed
medium is called the crest. The
section below is the trough.
 Wavelength (λ)

• - The distance between

any 2 same points of
different waves.
 Frequency

• How many wavelengths

occur per second.
– Hertz (Hz)
 SOUND WAVES
Air particles are disturbed back and forth as
compression waves.
• Different frequencies = different pitch.
Compression Waves
Speed of Sound

Sound propagates (travels)

through gas slower because
it is generally less dense.

Sound propagates through

liquids faster because they
are more dense, can hit each
other and pass energy easier

Sound propagates through

solids much faster because of
the high density…energy
transfers easiest.
Sound from stationary
source

Sound energy propagates outward

(Compression waves) in all directions.
 Sound from moving source
(Doppler Effect)

• The apparent change in Frequency

as the wave source moves toward or
away from the listener. Car is source
making noise
Frequency (moving)
is lower
(low pitch) Frequency
is higher
(high pitch)

Click for visual Click for

example
 Supersonic (breaking
sound barrier)

• When a wave source catches up

and passes the outgoing waves of
energy. Sound barrier

Click for video example

 Electromagnetic
Radiation
(EM Waves)

Energy that is coming from our star (The Sun).

We have identified many different types of
energy from the Sun and named them.
 What are EM radiation
waves?

– Space is mostly made of magnetic &

electric fields
– EM radiation disturbs the electric and
magnetic fields transversely as it
passes by.
 Differences in EM energy

Different energy from the

Sun all travel the same
speed through space
(186,000 miles/sec)

Energy with shorter

wavelengths = higher
frequency = more energy

Energy with longer

wavelengths = smaller
frequency = less energy
Types of EM Radiation
 How does energy travel through
emptiness of space???

• “Space particles” known as

photons carry energy through
space, but not matter.
• Some photons carry lots of energy
(gamma rays)
• Some photons carry little energy
(radio waves)
 Visible Light

The part of the Electromagnetic

Spectrum (frequency) that our eyes
can detect.
 Properties of Visible
Light

Shorter wavelength Longer wavelength

= higher frequency = lower frequency
 Diffraction

• Diffraction is the splitting of light

energy to its individual frequencies
(colors)
 Refraction
As light energy passes through
different mediums (solids, liquids, or
gases) it slows down to different
speeds.

Optical illusion – You see the rod

because light is reflecting off of it.
The light is reaching your eyes at
different speeds because it is
passing through different mediums
(water, glass, air)
 Refraction cont…

The Sun’s light energy is

refracted when it enters our
Earth’s atmosphere.
 Transmission

• To allow light energy to pass

through a substance. TRANSLUCENT
(not clear)

TRANSPARENT
(clear)
 Reflection
• Regular Reflection – When parallel
rays of light hit a smooth surface and all
the rays bounce off the same direction
& angle
 Reflection cont…

• Diffuse Reflection – When parallel rays

of light hit a bumpy or uneven surface they
bounce off at different angles & direction.
 Absorption

• When visible light is absorbed, it is

known as the “absence” of
light…which is black.
All absorbed
Black
 How we see

White light from

Sun strikes and
object

All color frequencies of

spectrum absorbed, but
this blue
 Light: Waves of energy,
particles, or both???

flashlight

Light has NO mass…can pass through substances

without increasing mass…acts like a EM wave.

flashlight

Light sometimes acts as a particle where it reflects or even

moves substances…acts like a particle. Light particle is a
PHOTON Photon carries the energy
 Visible Light Hitting an
Object

1. Refraction
2. Transmission
3. Scattering
4. Reflection
5. Absorption
 Scattering

Scattering – Light can be redirected in

many directions when other particles are
present…such as gases or liquids.