Energy Forms & Transformations
What type of energy is stored in food, fuel, or batteries?
Chemical Energy
Why do we see a shadow when an object blocks light?
Light travels in straight lines and cannot pass through opaque objects.
Name the planets in order from the Sun.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
What causes the changing appearance of the Moon?
The Moon’s revolution around Earth changes how sunlight reflects on it.
What is a force?
A push or a pull on an object.
What type of energy transformation occurs in a flashlight when turned on?
Chemical → Electrical → Light (and thermal)
Describe how reflection and refraction are different.
Reflection bounces light; refraction bends light as it changes mediums.
What force keeps planets in orbit around the Sun?
Gravity
Why do we see different constellations at different times of year?
Earth’s revolution changes our view of space as it orbits the Sun.
How does friction affect motion?
It resists motion, slowing objects down or stopping them.
A student rolls a ball up a ramp. Describe how potential and kinetic energy change.
Kinetic energy decreases as potential energy increases.
Why can we see our reflection in a mirror but not in a wooden door?Mirrors reflect light; wood absorbs and scatters light.
Mirrors reflect light; wood absorbs and scatters light.
Why is Earth able to support life compared to other planets?
It has liquid water, oxygen, and a suitable atmosphere and temperature.
Explain how shadows change throughout the day and what causes the change.
As Earth rotates, the Sun’s position in the sky changes, making shadows move and change length.
Describe how balanced and unbalanced forces affect motion.
Balanced = no change in motion; Unbalanced = causes acceleration or direction change.
Explain how energy changes when a toaster makes bread crispy.
Electrical → Thermal (heat) + Light energy
A beam of light travels through air, glass, and water. Explain what happens at each boundary.
Light refracts (bends) each time it enters a material with a different density.
How do the inner and outer planets differ?
Inner: small, rocky, few moons. Outer: large, gaseous, many moons and rings.
A student wants to find out how the amount of sunlight affects the growth of bean plants. She places three identical plants in separate pots with the same soil and gives them the same amount of water each day.
Plant A gets 2 hours of sunlight, Plant B gets 6 hours, and Plant C gets 10 hours each day.
Which part of the investigation is the independent variable? Explain which variables were kept constant and why that is important in this investigation.
Independent Variable - The number of hours of sunlight each plant recieves
Constant - type of soil, type of plant, how much water...
A student designs a car to roll faster down a ramp. Which variables could they test?
Ramp height, surface texture, or car mass.
Design example: Explain how energy transforms in a hydroelectric dam system.
Mechanical (moving water) → Electrical → Light or other usable forms
A student shines a flashlight at a mirror, and the light bounces off and travels to her eyes. Later, she shines the flashlight through a window, and the light passes through the glass.
What property of light allows it to both reflect and transmit, and how do the surfaces determine what happens to the light?
Light travels in straight lines and interacts with materials in different ways. When light hits a smooth, shiny surface (like a mirror), it reflects. When it hits a clear material (like glass), it transmits or passes through.
So the property that allows light to both reflect and transmit is its ability to interact differently depending on the material it strikes.
Compare the motion of the Earth’s rotation and revolution.
Rotation = spins once every 24 hours (day/night); Revolution = orbits Sun every 365 days (year).
A student designs an experiment to test how water temperature affects the rate of sugar dissolution. She adds one teaspoon of sugar to cups of water at different temperatures (cold, room temperature, and hot) and stirs each cup for 10 seconds.
Which variable is the dependent variable in this experiment? Identify at least two constants in this experiment and describe how they help make the results reliable.
Dependent Variable - The time it takes for the sugar to dissolve
Constants - how big the chunks are, and the amount added for each experiment
A ball is dropped from a height. Explain the energy transformations and forces acting on it.
Potential → Kinetic; gravity pulls downward; air resistance slows it slightly.