Download Energy Picture Assignment

Energy Pathways Assignment
Diagram an energy pathway for each of the paragraphs below.
Be sure to label the types of energy in each pathway.
1.
Energy travels from the sun to the Earth as light. When
sunlight reaches the earth, some of the light is reflected back into
space, but most is absorbed by the earth and changed into heat.
Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap the heat energy around
the earth, slowing its escape into space.
2.
Some of the light energy that comes to the earth is absorbed
by plants and converted to chemical energy stored in the chemical
bonds of plant sugars. The chemical energy in the plants can then
become food for animals. The animals use the chemical energy in
their food to live, and move. This energy eventually leaves the
animal’s body as heat. When the animal dies, decomposers eat the
dead animal and release more heat.
3.
Sunlight is absorbed by land plants or ocean plants and is
changed to chemical energy. These plants sometimes become
buried in the earth for millions of years. Here they might become
fossil fuels such as coal, oil, or natural gas. When people burn
fossil fuels (like gasoline in our cars), most of the energy is
released as heat. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere slow the
escape of heat into space.