PHYS- | GIZMOS | Student Exploration | Energy Conversion in a System

PHYS- | GIZMOS | Student Exploration | Energy Conversion in a System. Vocabulary: energy, gravitational potential energy, heat energy, kinetic energy, law of conservation of energy, specific heat capacity Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.) A battery contains stored energy in the form of chemical energy. 1. What are some examples of devices that are powered by batteries? A calculator, batteries, flashlights. 2. What different forms of energy are demonstrated by these devices? Most of them demonstrate kinetic energy/electrical energy. Gizmo Warm-up Energy constantly changes from one form to another, but in a closed system, the total amount of energy always remains the same. This concept is known formally as the law of conservation of energy. The Energy Conversion in a System Gizmo™ allows you to observe the law of conservation of energy in action. In the Gizmo, a suspended cylinder has gravitational potential energy. When the cylinder is released, the gravitational potential energy is converted into kinetic energy, which causes the stirrer in the water to spin. 1. What is the initial temperature (T) of the water? 25 Celsius 2. Click Play ( ). What happens as the cylinder drops? The temperature increases and the cylinder decreases in height as in it lowers from its original position in mid-air. 3. What is the final temperature of the water? 29.69 Celsius 4. Why do you think the temperature of the water increased? I think that the movement created by the little turbine fan within the beaker transferred more kinetic energy which adds heat energy to the water. Such as when a liquid turns into gas the molecules have a higher kinetic energy than the liquid.