Question

Energy comes in many different forms, but they share a common bond - they are the source of change, the root of the force. Energy moves through our world by force and action, changing from one form to another. Of course the energy is really the same, but it is our human need to classify what we see that creates the separate designations.

We artificially separate energy into different categories for our ease of use. For most of these categories there is also the division of potential and kinetic forms; potential being due to position and kinetic due to motion. The categories used to categorize energy are:

• Chemical
• Elastic
• Electrical
• Gravitational
• Light
• Magnetic
• Mechanical
• Nuclear
• Sound
• Thermal

For this exploratory you are to make observations of your surroundings and identify 10 examples of changes in energy from one category to another, i.e from chemical to elastic, or magnetic to nuclear. Your description of those changes should give enough detail for the reader to understand the nature of the change. EX. a light bulb shows a change from light to thermal energy is not specific enough (it is also not correct). Movement of electrons through a gas (electrical energy) in a CFL results in light (light energy) from the atoms of the gas. (Ha, now you can’t use that one)

While observing those energy changes, think of 5 questions raised by those changes. Scientific questions are posed in a manner that opens the door for scientific investigation, they involve tangible aspects of the phenomena observed. Usually “Why does…” questions are difficult to experimentally answer and are poor questions from a scientific standpoint. “Is the ________ effected by ……” or “how much ___________ is required to ___________” would be better forms, but not the only ones possible.

Finally, create hypotheses related to 2 of your questions. Remember, an hypothesis is a possible answer to the question. It must lead to physical verification and be able to be proven false. “Undetectable particles carry energy through the air” is not a valid hypothesis since the particles are undetectable and their existence could not be proven. To be a strong hypothesis there must be a statement of reasoning. Typically the form of the hypothesis is “If __________, then _____________, because ____________”, but it is not limited to that form.

Your final report may be in any format that best relates your information, but it must include:

• your 10 observations of specific category to category energy changes, and
• your 5 scientific questions, and
• your 2 hypotheses.

Answer 1

Observations of energy transformation-

1. In electrical heater electrical energy is converted into thermal energy.

2. In electrical press electrical energy is converted into thermal energy.

3. In electrical bulb electrical energy is converted into thermal energy.

4. In motor mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy.

5.In wind mill mechanical energy is converted into electrical energy.

6. In water dam potential energy of water is converted into kinetic energy of turbines further this energy is converted into electrical energy.

7. Burning coal convert chemical energy into thermal energy.

8. Bow and arrow convert potential energy into kinetic energy energy.

9. Heating water converted heat into internal energy of water molecules.

10. In nuclear fission mass is converted into energy , this is in nuclear reactor mass energy is converted into electrical energy.

Scientific questions regarding energy transformations-

1. How a system can convert electrical energy into thermal energy ?

2. Is there some process which can convert thermal energy to electrical energy ?

3. Is there some relation between mass and energy ?

4. Is there some practical uses of mass conversion into energy?

5. Is total energy is conserved in transformation process or is there energy violation ?

Hypothesis regarding scientific questions-

1. Total energy is conserved in all physical process.

2. Giving electrical current to heater increases violation in motion of electrons of metal and it increases resistance of metal and hence energy is lost as a heat of metal and it increases temperature of metal. This can be mechanism of electrical energy conversion into thermal energy.

I will be glad to see your comment if you have any query and thumb up if you are satisfied. Thanks...