Section 4: Energy resources and energy transfer

a) Units
b) Energy transfer
c) Work and power
d) Energy resources and electricity generation
a) Units
4.1 use the following units: kilogram (kg), joule (J), metre (m), metre/second (m/s),
metre/second2 (m/s2), newton (N), second (s), watt (W).
b) Energy transfer
4.2 describe energy transfers involving the following forms of energy:
Thermal (heat), light, electrical, sound, kinetic, chemical, nuclear and potential (elastic
and gravitational)
4.3 understand that energy is conserved
4.4 know and use the relationship:
Efficiency =

Useful energy output

Total energy output

4.5 describe a variety of everyday and scientific devices and situations, explaining the
fate of the input energy in terms of the above relationship, including their
representation by Sankey diagrams
4.6 describe how energy transfer may take place by conduction, convection and
radiation
4.7 explain the role of convection in everyday phenomena
4.8 explain how insulation is used to reduce energy transfers from buildings and the
human body.
c) Work and power
4.9 know and use the relationship between work, force and distance moved in the
direction of the force:
work done (J) = force (N) distance moved (m)
W=Fd
4.10 understand that work done is equal to energy transferred
4.11 know and use the relationship:
gravitational potential energy = mass g height
GPE = m g h
4.12 know and use the relationship:
kinetic energy =
KE=

1
2

1
2

mass speed2

mv2

4.13 understand how conservation of energy produces a link between gravitational

potential energy, kinetic energy and work
4.14 describe power as the rate of transfer of energy or the rate of doing work
4.15 use the relationship between power, work done (energy transferred) and time
taken:

Power =

Work done
Time taken

d) Energy resources and electricity generation

4.16 describe the energy transfers involved in generating electricity using:
wind
water
geothermal resources
solar heating systems
solar cells
fossil fuels
nuclear power
4.17 describe the advantages and disadvantages of methods of large scale electricity
production from various renewable and non-renewable resources.

b) Energy transfer
4.2 describe energy transfers involving the following forms of energy:
Thermal (heat), light, electrical, sound, kinetic, chemical, nuclear and potential (elastic
and gravitational)

Gravitational Potential, Elastic

Potential, Nuclear Potential and
Chemical Potential are types of stored
energy as the energy waits to be released.
These are often at the start or end of a
chain of energy transfers.
4.3 understand that energy is conserved

4.4 know and use the relationship:

Efficiency =

Useful energy output

Total energy output

4.5 describe a variety of everyday and

scientific devices and situations, explaining the fate of the input energy in terms of the
above relationship, including their representation by Sankey diagrams

a) Potassium Manganite using curved apparatus

(Liquids)
Diagram
Method:
4.6 describe how energy transfer may take place by conduction, convection and
radiation
4.7 explain the role of convection in everyday phenomena
4.8 explain how insulation is used to reduce energy transfers from buildings and the
human body.
Convection of air in a room:
When air particles heat up, they move apart. The bottom part of the room of hot air is
less dense than the top part of the room. So the hot air rises and creates a circulation,
which is convection.
Cycling to the sea in the morning:
Lee is tired after cycling to the sea in the
morning due to convection current. The sun
heats up the ground quickly while the sea
absorbs and preserves a lot of thermal
energy. The hot air from the ground rises,
which brings the cold air from the sea to
move towards the land. This means Lee is
riding against the wind in the morning.

Cycling back home in the evening:

When Lee cycles home in the evening,

he will have a difficult ride home. Since
the sun is gone, the ground will cool
down quickly while the sea still
contains hot air. So hot air will rise from
the sea and the wind will blow towards
the sea, against Lee.
Tectonic Plates
Freezer

Cloud formation
Boiling water

Work and power

4.9 know and use the relationship between work, force and distance moved in the
direction of the force:

work done (J) = force (N) distance moved (m)

W=Fd
Example question
Calculate the work
done by a person of
mass 80kg who climbs
up a set of stairs
consisting of 25 steps
each of height 10cm.

Work done is how much energy is transferred

from one form to another.
movement against an opposing force

W=Fxd
the person must exert
an upward force equal
their weight
the persons weight =
(80kg x 10N/kg) =
800N

4.10 understand that work done is equal to energy

transferred
the amount of work done is equal to the energy

the distance moved

upwards equals (10 x
25cm) = 2.5m
work = 800 N x 2.5 m
work = 2000 J

transferred from
one form to
another

980 joules of
chemical energy
from food eaten
the weight lifter
was transferred
980 joules of

by
to

gravitational potential energy to

the barbell.

4.11 know and use the relationship:

gravitational potential energy = mass g height

GPE = m g h

energy an object possesses due to its height from the Earths surface.
the higher an object is moved from the Earths surface the more potential
energy it will possess
Like kinetic energy gravitational potential energy also depends on the mass of
the object
work is done on the object against the force of gravity

Example
Calculate the gravitational potential energy
gained by a student of mass 70kg climbing
a flight of stairs of height 4m.
GPE = m x g x h
= 70kg x 10N/kg x 4m
material when it is stretched

Elastic Potential Energy

the energy stored in a

4.12 know and use the relationship:

kinetic energy =
KE=

1
2

1
2

mass speed2

mv2

4.13 understand how conservation of energy produces a link between gravitational

potential energy, kinetic energy and work
Conservation of Energy & Energy Transfer

Worked examples
Galileo drops a 100g stone from the
leaning tower of pisa, which is 45m high.
A) How much potential energy does the stone have at the top?
GPE = mgh
GPE = 0.1kg x 10N/kg x 45m
GPE= 45J
B) What is the potential energy transferred into as it falls?
Kinetic energy
C) If the energy is conserved. How much K.E. would the stone have just before it hits
the
ground?
45J since all the GPE has transferred into KE conservation of energy
D) If the stone has 45J of kinetic energy, what speed would it hit the ground at?
We need to rearrange the kinetic energy equation: KE=

1
2

mv2

V=

2KE
m

E) Equate the GPE equation and the KE equation.

Example
A bullet is fired straight into the air at a speed of 300m/s. The mass of the bullet is
50g. How
high will the bullet travel? Would a 200g bullet travel higher, lower or to the same
height?
Answer
A bullet is fired straight into the air at a speed of 300m/s. The mass of the bullet is
50g. How
high will the bullet travel? Would a 200g bullet travel higher, lower or to the same
height?

Example:
A 1 tonne car (1000kg) travels at 20m/s. Its brakes can apply a force of 2.8kN. What is
the braking distance?
Answer: