During this Unit, students will conduct several investigations focused on promoting understanding of different types and forms of energy. By conducting experiments, investigating different variables, and examining energy conversions, students will begin to draw conclusions concerning the relationship between the potential and kinetic energy and the Law of Conservation of Energy. Students will also discover that all forms of energy ultimately are converted to mechanical energy in order for systems and objects to do work.
Through performing experiments and participating in class discussions, students will begin to comprehend that energy can be found in different forms and types throughout nature and the universe. Students will begin to understand that the Law ofConservation of Energy applies to all forms and types of energy and that the total energy of an object or system is the sum of its potential and kinetic energies. This Unit will promote students’ awareness of forms of energy that they encounter in their daily lives, building continuity between classroom investigations and daily applications.
Conceptual Themes addressed in this Unit:
- Energy
- Force and Motion