Gravitational vs Elastic vs Chemical
What type of energy is stored when an object is raised above the ground?
Gravitational
In a simple electrical circuit with a battery and a light bulb, what form of energy does the battery provide that the bulb gives off as light?
The battery stores chemical energy and is transformed into electrical energy in the wires and ends with light energy as the bulbs turns on. Thermal energy is lost to the environment.
What is the main difference between a transverse wave and a longitudinal wave in terms of particle motion?
Transverse waves move perpendicular, longitudinal waves move parallel to the wave direction.
Name one form of potential energy and one form of kinetic energy found on a playground.
Potential: raised swing at highest point; Kinetic: swinging motion or a running child.
Which type of energy is stored in stretched or compressed springs?
In a food web, energy moves from plants to herbivores to carnivores. What is the original energy source for most food webs on Earth?
Give one real example of a transverse wave and one real example of a longitudinal wave
Transverse examples are light and water
Longitudinal examples are sound
In an electric toy car, the battery stores chemical energy. What two energy types might you observe when the car is turned on?
Chemical energy → electrical energy → kinetic energy (motion) and thermal energy (warm motor) and sound are released.
What type of potential energy is stored in the bonds of food and fuel?
Chemical
Describe how energy is conserved when a roller coaster goes up a hill and then down. Include names of energy types.
PE increases and KE decreases as a coaster goes up a hill. PE decreases and KE increases as the coaster goes down a hill. Some energy is lost to the environment as sound and heat (thermal energy) due to friction.
Explain how waves transfer energy without transferring matter.
When a mechanical wave travels through a medium, the particles of the medium move as the wave passes them. They do NOT move along with the wave.
Describe how energy is transformed in a flashlight from when you press the switch to when it shines. Include at least three forms of energy.
Switch closes: chemical energy in battery → electrical energy → light energy in bulb (also thermal energy). If LED, electrical → light efficiently; if incandescent, more thermal energy wasted.
Compare kinetic energy and potential energy in one sentence.
Potential energy is stored energy while kinetic energy is energy of motion.
Explain how chemical energy in food becomes kinetic energy when a person runs. Mention at least one energy transformation step and include what is given off.
The food is storing chemical energy and transformed into heat and mechanical energy when the person runs.
A tuning fork creates sound. Describe how the energy moves from the vibrating fork into the air and then to your ear. Include wave type.
In a longitudinal waves, particles move in a direction parallel to the direction of the wave travel and go in all directions.
An amusement-park swing is pulled back and released. Explain how energy changes during the swing’s motion and why it eventually stops if there is no one pushing. (Mention energy loss.)
Energy changes between gravitational PE (at highest point) and KE (at lowest point). It eventually stops because energy is transformed into thermal energy and sound due to air resistance and friction—energy is conserved but some becomes less available for mechanical motion.
A child at the top of a slide has potential energy. As the child slides down, which two types of energy increase and decrease? Explain the energy transformation.
PE decreases because it gets lower to the ground and KE increases because it goes faster as the child goes down the slide.
Explain the energy flow for photosynthesis starting with sun.
The sun gives off light or radiant energy that is absorbed by the plants. It turns into chemical energy stored in the food of the plant.
A rope fixed at one end is shaken to make a wave that travels to the other end. Describe what happens to the energy if the rope suddenly stops (is clamped) and why the wave amplitude changes.
When the rope is clamped, the wave’s energy is reflected back or converted into thermal energy at the clamp and along the rope due to friction; amplitude drops because energy is removed from the traveling wave.
Choose a specific example (food web, circuit, or amusement ride). Trace the energy through the system, naming each transformation and explaining how total energy is conserved (including where some energy may go that makes it unavailable for work).
For a roller coaster: electrical energy (to lift the cars to the first hill) → gravitational potential energy at the top → converts to kinetic energy as it descends → some energy lost to thermal energy via friction and sound. Total energy is conserved; energy simply moves between forms and some becomes thermal energy.