TEACHER COPY

SCIENCE: ENERGY NOTES

What is energy?
Energy makes change possible. It moves cars along the road and boats through the
water. It bakes a cake in the oven, keeps ice frozen in the freezer, and lights our homes.
Scientists define energy as the ability to do work. Modern civilization is possible because
we have learned how to change energy from one form to another and then use it to
do work for us

TERM

DEFINTION

EXAMPLE

ENERGY

The ability to do work or cause

change

Light bulb, arm muscles, fan, car,

computer, etc.

ALL FORMS OF ENERGY CAN BE IN ONE OF TWO STATES:

TERM

DEFINTION

EXAMPLE

POTENTIAL
ENERGY

Energy that is STORED

Anything that has mass and

has the potential to move,
the higher and heavier, the
greater the potential

KINETIC
ENERGY

Energy that is in MOTION

The faster, the more kinetic

energy. All moving things
Moving car, plane, people,
wind, rolling ball, electric
current, etc.

TERM

DEFINTION

EXAMPLE

LAW OF
CONSERVATION
OF ENERGY

Energy cannot be created

nor destroyed, but it can be
transformed

PE KE
Bow and arrow, Boulder at the
top of a hill, pendulum, dribbling
a ball, roller coaster

Created By Donna Soriano

TEACHER COPY

ENERGY HAS MANY FORMS:

TERM

DEFINTION

EXAMPLE

MECHANICAL

Energy of movement (combining

potential and kinetic energy)

Windmill, roller coaster,

car, bicycle, running,
falling water, motor, etc.

Light (electromagnetic) energy that

RADIANT
travels in waves.
(ELECTROMAGNETIC)

SOUND

Vibrations that travel through the air

and can be heard

CHEMICAL

E stored in the bonds of molecules.

HEAT
(THERMAL)

Energy of moving and vibrating

atoms and molecules.

ELECTRICAL

Caused by the movement of

electrons (tiny charged particles
usually moving through a wire)

NUCLEAR

Energy stored in the nucleus of an

atom. E that holds the nucleus
together. (When it is split, (fission)
the E is released)

Light, sunshine, x-rays,

radio waves, infrared
light, etc.
Music, voices, radio,
whistle, bang, pops,
thunder, feel the bass of
the music, etc.
Food, fuel, gasoline,
plants, coal, battery,
wood, oil, etc.
Volcanoes, geothermal,
fire, suns heat,
microwave, etc.
Electronic devices,
anything with electricity,
lightning, TV, phone,
computer, etc.
Nuclear bomb, nuclear
power plant

An acronym to help remember all of these forms is M R S C H E N!

Gravitational Energy, Nuclear Energy, Stored Mechanical Energy and Chemical Energy are all potential
energies.
Electricity, Motion, Radiant Energy, Sound and Thermal Energy are all kinetic energies. The next page will
talk about each one of the different energy forms.

Created By Donna Soriano