Investigation 1

Guiding Question: How does energy transfer in a complete circuit?

Focus Questions

Part 1: What is needed to light a bulb?

Part 2: What materials transfer electricity?

Part 3: How can you light two bulbs brightly with one D-cell?

Part 4: Which design is better for manufacturing long strings of lights—series or parallel?

Investigation 2

What affects magnetic force?

 🎯 Part 1: What materials sticks to magnets?

🎯 Part 2: What happens when two or more magnets interact? What happens when a piece of iron comes close to touches a permanent magnet?

🎯 Part 3: What is the effect on the force of attraction between two magnets as the distance between them changes? 

Investigation 3

What causes electromagnetism and how can we use it to transfer energy?

Focus Questions

Part 1: How can you turn a steel rivet into a magnet that turns on and off?

Part 2: How does the number of winds of wire around a core affect the strength of the magnetism?

Part 3: How can you reinvent the telegraph using your knowledge of energy and electromagnetism?

Investigation 4

How does energy transfer between objects or systems?

Guiding Question: How does energy transfer between objects or systems?

4.1: Identify evidence that energy is present

4.2: Explain how starting position affects speed of ball rolling down a ramp

4.3: Explain what happens when objects collide

Investigation 5

How do waves have to do with energy?

Focus Questions

Part 1: How are waves involved in energy transfer?

Part 2: How does light travel?

Part 3: How can you make a motor run faster using solar cells?