Download Lesson 3.1 Investigating Energy

Lesson 3.1 Investigating Energy
Understandings
1. Two types of energy exist: potential (stored energy) and kinetic (energy in motion).
2. Energy sources can be renewable, exhaustible, or inexhaustible. There are advantages and
disadvantages to each.
3. The six main forms of energy include solar or light radiation, thermal, electrical,
mechanical, chemical, and nuclear.
4. Energy efficiency and conservation are necessary in order to minimize pollution, improve
business/economy, reduce dependence on foreign sources, and reduce our carbon
footprint to create a sustainable world.
5. Energy can be transferred, or moved, from one object to another.
6. Energy can be transformed, or changed, from one form to another.
7. The second law of thermodynamics states that not all energy is 100 percent efficient
when it is converted from one form to another.
8. Work is measured in Joules and is defined as force acting over a distance. Power is
measured in Watts and is defined by how fast work is done.
9. Engineers, designers, and engineering technologists are high demand for the development
of future technology to meet societal needs and wants.
Knowledge and Skills
It is expected that students will:
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Describe the differences between, and the advantages and disadvantages of exhaustible,
inexhaustible, renewable, and non-renewable energy sources.
Describe the six main forms of energy; including solar or light radiation, thermal,
electrical, mechanical, chemical, and nuclear.
Differentiate between potential and kinetic energy.
Identify global energy uses and explain trends toward future demands.
Demonstrate ways to increase the efficiency of energy used in homes and at school.
Calculate financial savings and explain effects of our carbon footprint as a result of using
energy efficiently.
Use the design process to design, model, and test a wind turbine for efficiency.
Calculate power and work by measuring force, distance, and time using the wind turbine
model.
Describe the roles and responsibilities of STEM professionals for high demand
technological careers.
© 2011 Project Lead The Way, Inc.
PLTW Gateway – Energy and the Environment Lesson 3.2 Sustainable Energy – Page 1
Essential Questions
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6.
What is energy?
Why do we need energy?
Why is it important for engineers to know and understand the various forms of energy?
What is the law of conservation?
What is the difference between energy and power and how are they measured?
If energy cannot be created or destroyed, why are we concerned about running out of
energy?
7. What would be the benefits if humans used more renewable and inexhaustible forms of
energy?
8. How much difference does replacing a regular light bulb with an energy saving bulb
really make?
Key Terms
Biomass
Plant materials and animal waste used especially as a
source of fuel.
Chemical Energy
The potential energy locked within a system and
released during a chemical reaction.
Climate Change
Any significant change in measures of climate, such as
temperature, precipitation, or wind, lasting for an
extended period of a decade or longer.
Conservation
The process of controlling resources; for example,
limiting soil erosion, reducing sediment in waterways,
conserving water, and improving water quality.
Electrical Energy
Energy associated with the flow of electrons.
Energy
The ability to do work; types include heat, light, sound,
chemical, nuclear, mechanical, electrical.
Exhaustible Energy
Any source of energy that is limited and cannot be
replaced when it is used, such as oil, coal, and natural
gas.
Fossil Fuel
A natural fuel such as coal or gas formed in the
geological past from the remains of living organisms.
Geothermal
Energy stored in the earth in the form of heat.
Greenhouse Effect
The phenomenon whereby the earth's atmosphere traps
solar radiation, caused by the presence in the
atmosphere of gases such as carbon dioxide, water
vapor, and methane that allow incoming sunlight to pass
through but absorb heat radiated back from the earth's
© 2011 Project Lead The Way, Inc.
PLTW Gateway – Energy and the Environment Lesson 3.2 Sustainable Energy – Page 2
surface.
Heat (Thermal) Energy
Energy in transit.
Hydroelectric Energy
The use of flowing water from waterfalls and dams to
produce electricity.
Hydrogen
The first and simplest element on the periodic table. It is
one of the most common elements in the galaxy.
Inexhaustible Energy
An energy source that will never run out.
Kinetic Energy
The energy possessed by a body as a result of its
motion.
Law of Conservation of
Energy
Energy can be neither created nor destroyed. There is a
fixed amount of energy present in different forms that can
be converted from one form to another, but energy does
not go away.
Light (Radiant) Energy
Energy visible to the eye.
Mechanical Energy
Energy produced by mechanical devices, such as gears,
pulleys, levers, or internal combustion engines.
Non-Renewable Energy
A resource that cannot be replaced once used.
Nuclear Energy
The power of the atom.
Photovoltaic Cell
A device that converts light into electricity.
Potential Energy
The energy that a piece of matter has because of its
position or nature or because of the arrangement of
parts.
Power
The rate at which work is performed or energy is
expended.
Renewable Energy
A resource that can be replaced when needed.
Solar Energy
Energy from the sun.
Sustainable
Refers to the use of resources in ways that prevent their
being depleted or permanently damaged.
Wind Energy
Energy derived from wind by means of windmills or wind
turbines.
Wind Farm
A collection of wind turbines used to create electricity.
Wind Turbine
A propeller driven by the wind and connected to a
generator. The wind makes it turn the generator, which
© 2011 Project Lead The Way, Inc.
PLTW Gateway – Energy and the Environment Lesson 3.2 Sustainable Energy – Page 3
produces electricity.
Work
A result of a force moving an object a certain distance.
References
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© 2011 Project Lead The Way, Inc.
PLTW Gateway – Energy and the Environment Lesson 3.2 Sustainable Energy – Page 4