Motion & Energy
The kind of energy a rolling ball has because it is moving.
What is motion energy (kinetic energy)?
Name four ways energy can be transferred from place to place.
What is sound, light, heat, and electric currents?
True or False: Sound travels in waves.
What is true?
Which of these is a renewable energy source: solar panels, gasoline, or natural gas? Pick one and say why
What is solar panels are renewable — sunlight won't run out daily?
What is one device that converts one form of energy to another? Give an example?
Any correct examples accepted.
The object that has the most motion energy: bicycle, truck, or train
What is train?
A battery powers a flashlight producing light. Identify the energy transfer that happens (name the starting and ending energy forms).
What is chemical/electrical → light?
In a repeating sound, the wave pattern repeats. Which wave property describes how often the pattern repeats per second?
What is frequency?
wind turbines → which energy type?
What is wind energy?
When designing a solar-powered toy car, name two constraints you might consider.
What is Constraints: weight, size, sunlight availability, budget.
How does the speed of an object relate to its motion (kinetic) energy?
What is faster → more kinetic energy; energy increases with speed?
Explain why two bulbs wired in series with one battery both go out if one bulb burns out.
What is series circuit; broken filament opens circuit so current stops?
Define amplitude and wavelength in student-friendly language.
What is amplitude = wave height (loudness for sound); wavelength = distance between repeating parts of the wave?
Explain why using renewable energy sources helps the environment in one or two sentences.
Renewable sources produce less pollution and are not used up quickly.
Describe one variable you would change and two you would control when testing which battery makes a motor run fastest
What is
Variable: battery type
controls: motor model, load, surface.
A ball is dropped from a shelf and hits the floor. Name two forms of energy involved in this event and when each appears.
What is gravitational potential → motion energy when falling; some energy may become sound/heat on impact?
Describe the energy transfer that occurs when a moving truck collides with a parked car, causing the car to move.
What is mechanical energy of truck transfers to car; truck loses some energy (slows), some becomes sound/heat/deformation?
Which wave property (short wavelength or long wavelength) would likely move a small toy boat more quickly across water? Explain briefly.
What is long wavelength (usually moves the boat farther per wave) — explain with classroom demo?
Identify which natural resource provides geothermal energy and describe one use of that energy.
What is geothermal from Earth's internal heat; used for heating buildings or generating electricity?
After testing a simple windmill that doesn't lift a weight, name two possible improvements you could try to make it work better.
What is larger blades, change blade angle, reduce friction, stronger materials?
Explain why a faster-moving object has more energy than a slower-moving object (give a classroom-observable example).
What is rolling marbles — faster marble knocks others farther; measure displacement as evidence?
Give an example (from daily life) where energy transfers by heat, by light, and by sound in the same scenario; briefly explain each transfer.
Example: What is cooking with a gas stove (heat to pot), light from stove display (light), sound of boiling (sound)?
Explain how you could use a pattern of clapping (short and long claps) to send a simple message.
What is code and mapping?
Describe two ways using fossil fuels affects the environment and one alternative a community could use to reduce those effects.
What are
Effects: air pollution, climate change, resource depletion.
Alternatives: solar farms, wind, energy conservation?
Generate and compare two different solutions to power a small classroom fan without using fossil fuels. For each solution, list one expected advantage and one likely limitation.
Example solutions:
solar panels (advantage: renewable; limitation: less power in low sun)
hand-crank generator (advantage: on-demand; limitation: human work needed).