Determining Mechanicl Energy
What two types of energy add together to make mechanical energy?
Kinetic energy and potential energy.
What type of energy is stored in the nucleus of an atom?
Nuclear energy.
Heat always flows from a ______ object to a ______ object.
Hotter; cooler.
What do we call it when energy changes from one form to another?
Energy transformation.
What law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed?
The law of conservation of energy.
A train rolling uphill has mostly what type of energy?
Kinetic energy.
What form of energy depends on the total kinetic and potential energy of particles?
Thermal energy.
What happens to most substances when they are heated?
They expand.
What do we call it when energy moves from one object to another?
Energy transfer.
Why does a baseball not travel forever after being hit?
Energy transfers to the air and transforms into thermal energy due to friction.
A train sitting still at the top of a hill has what type of energy?
Potential energy.
What type of energy do plants store in sugars they create during photosynthesis?
Chemical energy.
Which form of heat transfer occurs through direct particle contact?
Conduction.
A toaster transforms electrical energy into what type of energy?
Thermal energy.
How can thin air at high altitude (like Denver) affect a baseball’s travel distance?
Less dense air causes less energy transfer, so the ball travels farther.
As a ball falls, what happens to its kinetic and potential energy?
Kinetic energy increases; potential energy decreases.
What type of energy involves electric charges moving or having potential?
Electrical energy.
Why does a hot-air balloon rise?
Heated air inside becomes less dense because particles spread apart.
When the wrecking ball hits a wall, what two things happen to its kinetic energy?
Some transfers to the wall; some transforms into thermal energy (and sound).
What happens to matter in a wave before it breaks (like in the ocean)?
It vibrates temporarily but returns to its original position.
Why does a pendulum have its greatest kinetic energy at the midpoint of the swing?
Because that is where its speed is highest and its potential energy is lowest.
What type of energy travels through space as waves and does not need a medium?
Electromagnetic radiation.
Explain how heating water causes an increase in thermal energy at the particle level.
Particles move faster, increasing kinetic energy and raising temperature.
Why does friction cause moving objects to lose mechanical energy?
Because friction transforms mechanical energy into thermal energy.
When a wave breaks, why can surfers finally ride it?
The wave transfers its energy to the shore, moving matter forward.