Natural World - Power

January 3- February 10

Overview

Have you ever asked yourself, “How is my world affected by energy?”  Without energy there would be nothing.  There would be no sun, no wind, no rivers, no telephones, no life, not even atoms being able to hold themselves together.  Energy is behind everything that happens.  It is everywhere.  It is changing from one form to another right before your eyes (and in your eyes).  Some forms of energy are visible, such as the lights at the ceiling. You feel energy when you sit in the sun. You don't see the energy, but you know it is there.  Another form we do not see but still experience is sound. When you listen to your favorite song, you are experiencing a form of energy. Most of what goes on in the universe involves one form of energy being transformed into another. The total amount of energy available for transformation is almost always decreasing.

Scientists define energy as the ability to do work or cause change.  Work is what happens when a force moves something.  Power is the rate at which work is done.  Therefore, power is the ability to employ or control the use of energy.  In the study of energy and power, there are two main concepts, thermodynamics and waves.

Energy is defined as the ability to do work. The total amount of energy used by an appliance is the power consumption multiplied by the time the appliance is in use (Energy = Power x Time). As a result, power is defined as the rate at which one form of energy is converted into another.  The unit of power is the watt.

All vocabulary words, notes, assignments, projects and concept maps will be compiled into a natural world packet.  This packet will be turned into your teacher before you take the test.

 _____ 1. Read the overview with your color group.  The following vocabulary words will be discussed during your course of study: longitudinal waves, transverse waves, amplitude, wavelength, frequency, kinetic energy, potential energy, conversion, power, mechanical energy, thermal energy, chemical energy, electrical energy, electromagnetic energy, and nuclear energy.

_____ 2. Personal Project: Make a six degrees of separation diagram showing how six of the vocabulary
            words are connected. Receive a lesson from your teacher and go to
    
_____ 3. Participate in the Socratic Discussion on Origin of Power in the Voltaic Pile.

_____ 4. Advanced Work: Write a one-page paper and make a poster on the topics you chose in #2.
You must use three references and list those references in bibliography format.  You will be
presenting the information to your color group.

Guiding Question 1: What is energy and what are the laws of thermodynamics and the transformation of energy?

Thermodynamics relies on three concepts: work, energy, and power.  There are two main laws that govern these concepts.  The first law of thermodynamics says that energy is conserved; it cannot be created or destroyed, but it can change from one form to another.  The second law of thermodynamics says that energy always goes from more useful to less useful forms, and when heat energy is changed into other forms, some of it always remains as heat.  Therefore, some energy cannot be used for useful work and no engine can operate at 100% efficiency.

_____ 5. Participate in the lesson on energy, power, and the law of conservation of energy.

_____ 6. IW Read and take notes on pp. 151-155, 166-169 and 176-181in Science
    Explorer: Motion, Forces and Energy.

_____ 7. Complete a. and two other activities in your small group to answer the guiding question.
Read the section of Science Explorer: Motion, Forces, and Energy and complete the lab activity.
Make a poster of the reading, complete the lab write up and present all relevant information to
the class
a.    Can You Feel the Power? Pg.  156-157
b.    Energy Transformations and Conservation, pp. 158-163; Soaring Straws
c.    What is Energy, pp. 146-150; How High can the Ball Bounce
d.    Thermal Energy and States of Matter, pp. 190-194; What Happens to Heated Metal
e.    The Transfer of Heat, pp. 183-189; Just Add Water

_____ 8. Using the Inspirations software create a graphic organizer with information and examples from your individual and group work.

Guiding Question 2: How do waves transmit energy and what are the different types and properties of waves?

A wave is a disturbance that transfers energy from place to place and is created when a source of energy causes a medium to vibrate.  Waves are classified according to how they move.  The three types of waves are transverse waves, longitudinal waves and surface waves.  Transverse waves move particles at right angles to the direction the waves are moving, resulting in crests and troughs.  Longitudinal waves move particles parallel to the direction that the waves are traveling, resulting in compressions and rarefactions.  Surface waves are combinations of transverse and longitudinal waves and occur at the surface between two mediums, such as water and air.  There are four basic properties of waves: amplitude, wavelength, frequency and speed.

_____ 9. Participate in the lesson on waves.

_____ 10. IW Read and take notes on pp. 14-23 and 32-34 in Sound and Light.

_____ 11. Complete a. and two other activities in your small group to answer the guiding question.
Read the section of Science Explorer: Sound and Light and complete the lab activity. Make a
poster of the reading, complete the lab write up and present all relevant information to your color
group.
a.    Make your own GeoSafari activity for the types and properties of waves.
b.    Reflection and Mirrors, pp. 112-121; Plane-Mirror Images
c.    The Nature of Sound, pp. 40-44 and Combining Sound Waves; The Speed of Sound and Bouncing Sound
d.    Interactions of Waves, pp. 24-29; Making Waves
e.    Properties of Sound, pp. 46-51 and How you Hear Sound, pp. 62-64; Tuning Forks

_____ 12. Using the Inspirations software create a graphic organizer with information and examples from your individual and group work.

How do I put it all together?

_____ 13. Group project.  Your project will be assessed by a rubric. 
Build a device that demonstrates energy conversion.  You will use LEGOs to build a new and different kind of toy.  This toy must be motorized and include at least three types of the following energy changes: changing direction, changing speed, making noise, changing from kinetic to potential energy and doing work. Monday, January 30
_____ 14. Vocabulary and Etymology test Friday, January 13

_____ 15. Complete the self and group assessment individually and then discuss it with your small group.

_____ 16. Review for the test and update all graphic organizers. Organize and compile all your work
           together.

_____ 17. Theme test Thursday, February 2