Thermal Energy
What is thermal energy?
Thermal energy is the energy related to the temperature of matter.
What is electrical energy?
Energy caused by the movement of electric flow
What is a conductor?
A material that allows energy to travel through it easily.
What is an insulator?
A material that does not allow energy to travel through it easily.
Why are cooking pots often made of metal?
Metal conducts thermal energy and helps heat the food.
What happens when thermal energy moves from a warmer object to a cooler object?
Thermal energy moves from the warmer object to the cooler object.
What three things are needed to make a simple electrical circuit?
A power source, wires, and a device such as a light bulb.
Name one material that is a good electrical conductor.
Copper, aluminum, or another metal.
Name one material that is an electrical insulator.
Rubber, plastic, or dry wood.
Why do oven mitts help protect your hands?
They are made of materials that slow the transfer of thermal energy.
What is a thermal conductor?
A material that allows thermal energy to travel through it easily.
What happens when a circuit is open?
Electricity cannot flow through the complete circuit.
Why are metals commonly used in electrical wires?
Metals allow electrical energy to travel through them.
Why are electrical wires covered with plastic or rubber?
Plastic and rubber help prevent electricity from passing to people who touch the wires.
Why is plastic a good choice for the outside of a hair dryer?
Plastic is an insulator that helps protect people from heat and electrical energy inside the dryer.
Why does a metal spoon get hot when left in a pot of hot soup?
Metal is a thermal conductor, so thermal energy travels through it.
What happens when a circuit is closed?
Electricity can flow through the complete circuit.
If a metal object allows a light bulb to turn on in a circuit, what does that tell you?
The metal is an electrical conductor.
What might happen if the plastic covering on an electrical wire becomes damaged?
A person could come into contact with the electrical conductor and get shocked.
A student tests a material in a circuit. The light bulb turns on. Is the material a conductor or an insulator?
It is an electrical conductor.