Energy types and transformations | Fans, lights and electricity

 













Millions of people all over the world turn on lights and fans every day, and in America alone, millions of people plug in their phone per day. Electricity and electrical stuff we now take for granted, but there is a science behind it all. There are six general forms of energy, chemical, mechanical, thermal, light, electrical, and nuclear. Chemical energy is the potential energy stored in chemical substances. Mechanical energy is the type of energy that is acquired or released by moving an object. Thermal energy which is the type of energy made by the motion of molecules, this is seen a lot when heating things up. Light energy is the form of electromagnetic energy. Electrical energy is the type of energy that is a product of the movements of electrons, this is what we use to power fans, blow dryers and more. Finally, nuclear energy is the energy stored in the nucleus of an atom. All of these types of energy can be converted into another. Actually, most things require a lot of energy transformations for them to happen. But with this comes the law of conservation energy. This states that energy can not be created nor destroyed; rather it can only be transformed from one form to another. We use energy transformations every day. From turning on a fan to eating dinner, we are transforming the energy that we will then use and pass on for it to be transformed yet again.

S&EP
SP2: Using Models

Models and simulations help scientists picture and test things on a daily basis. It helps scientists to come up with an explanation and/or a solution to a problem or idea that they had. Models can help scientists to understand energy transformations. By using models and simulations, I was able to identify what type of energy transformation was happening to make some of the things we use every day, be usable. This was a way of me seeing how energy transformations worked and how they affected our daily lives just like the science in our lives shows up daily.

XCC
XCC: Energy and Matter

Matter makes up anything that has a mass, it makes up you and me and the people around us. Energy is the force that allows us to do stuff and for things to happen, like electricity or being able to move. Many parents allow a time for their children to "let their energy out" But how is energy let out of things that aren't living, breathing, objects? Take the cable that your phone was probably plugged into at some point today. How does the chord transfer electricity (a form of energy), out and into your phone/device? The answer is simple, energy transformations. Energy transforms into different types of itself to perform different tasks. For example, you can't use wind energy itself to power your phone, but you can use the output of windmills, electricity. The electricity is just being transformed in the process of wind to your phone so that it can charge it.