eLearning Lesson

What is energy and how is it transferred?

Energy: The ability to do work

Potential energy: Stored energy

Kinetic energy: Moving energy

Energy can only be transferred, never created or destroyed!

Types of Energy

There are many forms of energy. All work (force causing movement) on earth is accomplished through energy transferring from one form to another.

Let's take a closer look at some types of energy!

Heat
Sound
Light
Electricity

Heat: Movement and collision of particles

Transferred in three ways (conduction, convection, radiation).

Conduction

Transfer through direct contact

Convection

Transfer through movement of a fluid

Radiation

Transfer through electromagnetic waves

Quick fun activity

Rub your hands together quickly. Feel them getting warmer? This is an example of conduction!

Thick fur

Animals use dense fur to prevent loss of heat by convection in the cold weather

Huddling

Some animals group together to share body heat through conduction in the cold

Light: Photons traveling in waves

Energy from the sun travels to Earth as light.

Ectotherms (cold-blooded animals) use light energy to keep their bodies at a constant comfortable temperature as they can't create heat through metabolism (digesting food).

Many animals can perceive infrared and/or UV light. This special adaptation gives these animals an advantage in finding prey and avoiding predators.

Sound: Vibrations causing mechanical waves

There must be an object (gas, liquid, solid) for the vibrations to travel through.

Echolocation

Bats and other animals send out high frequency sounds and use the echo to hunt and navigate.

Bird Songs

Birds have specific calls and songs they used to communicate with other birds of the same species.

Paw Whiskers

Coyotes and other animals use whiskers to sense vibrations moving through the ground to hunt.

Frog Calls

Spring Peepers and other frogs stretch their air sacs creating calls to find a mate and mark territory.

Electrical: Flow of charge

The flow of charge is caused by attraction or repulsion between charged particles.

Humans generate electricity through burning fossil fuels and harnessing solar, hydro, and wind power.

Fossil Fuels

Solar

Hydro

Wind

Bee

After a bee has visited a flower, the flower experiences a change in electrical charge. Bees pick up on this change and avoid the flowers with less nectar.