Heat
What type of energy do you feel when you hold a warm mug?
Heat (thermal) energy.
What do we call the energy we can see with our eyes?
Light energy (radiant).
What do we call the energy we hear with our ears?
Sound energy.
What kind of energy powers a flashlight when you turn it on?
Electrical energy (battery supplies electrical energy to the flashlight).
What kind of energy is used when you push a swing?
Mechanical energy (kinetic when moving).
Name one everyday thing that gives off heat and light at the same time.
Examples: campfire, stove, light bulb.
True or false: Light travels in a straight line until it hits something.
True — light travels roughly in straight lines until it strikes an object or a new medium.
Name one way sound is created (use simple action, e.g., plucking a rubber band).
Sound is made by vibrating objects (plucking, striking).
Name a safe classroom example of something that uses electrical energy.
Examples: lamp, computer, classroom fan.
Name two simple machines that help people do work (examples: lever, pulley).
Lever, pulley, wheel and axle, inclined plane, screw, wedge.
What happens to temperature when two objects at different temperatures touch each other?
Heat flows from warmer object to cooler until they are closer in temperature (they exchange heat).
What does it mean when light is reflected? Give a simple example.
Reflection: light bounces off a surface (mirror).
If you make a sound in a large empty room, what happens to the sound? (Hint: think about echo or traveling.)
Sound may echo or spread out; it travels and can bounce off surfaces.
What must be connected to make a simple circuit that lights a bulb? (List the main parts.)
Battery (or power source), wires, switch, and bulb (closed circuit).
How does pushing or pulling an object show that energy can cause motion or change?
A push or pull applies force causing motion — energy transferred to the object.
Explain how rubbing your hands together makes them warmer. (Use simple steps.)
Rubbing hands friction produces thermal energy, making hands warmer.
What does it mean when light is refracted? Give a kid-friendly example (like a straw in water)
Refraction: light bends when it passes from one medium to another (straw looks bent in water).
How does changing how fast something vibrates change the sound we hear? (Keep it simple.)
Faster vibration = higher pitch; slower vibration = lower pitch.
Why should we never touch electrical outlets with wet hands? (Simple safety reason.)
Water conducts electricity and increases risk of shock; wet hands reduce insulation.
Give a classroom example of mechanical energy changing an object’s motion
Rolling a ball down a ramp speeds it up due to gravity and mechanical energy transfer.
Give an example of how heat can cause a change in matter (use a familiar example like melting)
Example: ice melting into water when heated.
Describe an experiment students can do to show that light travels in a straight line (short steps).
Shine a flashlight through a small hole onto a wall with an object blocking part of the beam to show straight-line shadows.
Give an example of how sound can cause something to move or change (simple classroom example).
Example: loud music vibrating a table making small objects move.
Explain how electrical energy can cause a change (for example, making a motor spin).
Electrical motor converts electrical energy into motion (spinning).
Explain how mechanical energy and heat could be connected
Friction from rubbing converts mechanical energy into heat (hands rubbing, brakes on a bike).