Name: _Katerina Frias_________________________ Date: 1-14-21_________________

Student Exploration: Energy Conversions

Vocabulary: chemical energy, electrical current, energy, fossil fuel, global warming,
gravitational potential energy, hydroelectricity, kinetic energy, light, nonrenewable resource,
nuclear energy, renewable resource, sound, thermal energy

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

1. What are sources of electricity? List as many as you can.

Light, heat, wind, and hydrogen.

2. Where do people and other animals get energy to move around?

They get their energy from food.

3. Where do plants get energy to live and grow?

They get their energy from the sun.

Gizmo Warm-up
In the Energy Conversions Gizmo, be sure Information
mode is selected. Click on each of the different items in the
scene and read about each one.

1. Which object converts sunlight into sugars?

Corn.

2. Which object converts wind power to electricity?

Wind turbine.

3. Which object converts light to electricity? Solar panels.

4. Which object converts electricity to light? The lamp’s lightbulb.

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 Activity A: Get the Gizmo ready:
Energy Paths  Select the Path mode.

Question: Where do we get energy to run, climb, play, and do all the other things we do?

1. Form hypothesis: Where do you think we humans get energy?

I think they get their energy from food.

2. Create a path: You will now form an energy path to see where our energy comes from.

A. Click on the person and read. Where do people get energy? Food.

B. Now click on the chicken. Where does the chicken get energy? Food.

C. Click on the corn. Where does the corn get energy? The sun.

D. Click on the Sun. How does the Sun get energy? A nuclear reaction causing

Hydrogen in the sun’s core to turn into helium.

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E. Fill in the energy path below starting with the Sun.

Sun → Corn → Chicken → Person

3. Apply: Click Reset and then click on the toaster. Using the Gizmo, create four energy paths
to explain how the toaster could get its energy. (One path will only have three objects.)

A. Sun → Water → Dam → Toaster

B. Sun → Solar panels → Toaster

C. Sun → Corn → Ethanol Plant → Toaster

D. Sun → Air → Wind Turbine → Toaster

4. Analyze: Where does each path begin? The sun.

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Draw conclusions: What would life on Earth be like without the Sun? If there was no Sun,
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22. only certain bacteria that have adapted to extreme cold temperatures would survive.

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 Activity B: Get the Gizmo ready:
Energy  Click Reset.
Conversions  Check that Path mode is still selected.

Question: How is energy changed from one form to another?

1. Classify: Energy is the ability to exert force and cause change. Energy has many forms:
 Kinetic energy is energy of motion. All moving things have kinetic energy.
o Sound is energy of vibrating materials or air molecules.
o Thermal energy is the energy of tiny moving particles. As an object heats up,
particles move faster and thermal energy increases.
 Gravitational potential energy is stored energy that exists based on the position of
an object. The higher an object is, the greater its gravitational potential energy.
 Electrical current is energy that comes from moving charged particles.
 Light is electromagnetic waves that are visible to the eye.
 Chemical energy is energy that is stored in the bonds holding atoms together.
 Nuclear energy is energy released when atoms split apart or join together.

2. Create path: Create an energy path in the Gizmo, starting at the Sun. For each step of the
path, describe the energy conversion that takes place. The first one is done for you. Discuss
your answers with your classmates and teacher.

Energy Path Energy conversion

Nuclear energy is converted to light and thermal energy.

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3. On your own: Create at least two more paths on the Gizmo. List the energy conversions that
happen along each path. Record your work on separate paper or in your notebook.

4. Apply: Where in the Gizmo (and in real life) do the following energy conversions occur?

Chemical to thermal to electrical current: Gasoline is burned in a car engine

Gravitational potential to kinetic to electrical current: The water behind a hydroelectric dam
stores gravitational potential energy since it is at a higher level than the water on the other
side of the dam. As the water falls, this potential energy is converted into kinetic energy,
which turns turbines to generate electricity.

Get the Gizmo ready:

Introduction: Over 80% of our energy comes from the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas,
and coal. Fossil fuels are fairly cheap and plentiful, but there are several problems:
 Fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources. That means there is a limited supply. Once
the world runs out, there is no way to get more.
 Burning fossil fuels adds carbon dioxide to the air. Most scientists agree that this causes
the gradual warming of Earth’s climate, or global warming.

Question: What types of energy do not harm our environment?

1. Describe: Four examples of renewable resources are featured in the Energy Conversions
Gizmo. These resources are produced all the time, so they will not run out. Read about each
energy source, and then explain how each is produced in your own words.

A. Wind power: Wind turns the turbine blades that are connected to a generator. The

movement of the blades allows the generator to create electrical currents.

B. Water power (also called hydroelectricity): Flowing water turns the blades of the

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 water turbine. The movement of the blades allows the generator to create electrical

currents.

C. Solar power: Sunlight removes electrons form silicon crystals found inside solar

panels. Those electrons flow through wires to helping transfer the electrical currents

formed by the electrons.

D. Ethanol: Different types of plants are fermented to produce ethanol (a type of

alcohol). Burning ethanol creates power for a generator. This generator produces

electrical currents.

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