Energy
Session 1: What is Energy
The word "energy" is everywhere in our day-to-day lives — energy conservation, clean energy, energy to exercise, and even, energy in different types of foods. It is not surprising, as every interaction involves energy. But what is energy? This session seeks to answer that question and also, invites you to explore the various kinds of energy that keep our world going. Session 2: Potential Energy
All objects — big and small, hot and cold, moving and stationary — have potential energy. But the principle of having energy can lead to logical but incorrect assumptions of what this means. This session identifies the various types of potential energy and helps to clarify what it really means to have potential energy. Session 3: Heat Energy
We all know something about heat from our daily lives — from feeling a child's temperature to checking whether your oven is warm enough to hearing about global warming on the evening news. But an understanding of the energy of heat is not always commonplace. This session explores the various ways in which heat energy is misunderstood and the ways in which scientists define and talk about heat energy, how it is transferred, and how it affects our world. Session 4: Conservation of Energy
The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed. It is always conserved. But how? And why do our experiences often lead us to believe otherwise — it sure seems like energy is lost when our morning coffee cools before we can drink it, children tire after a hard day at play, and our cell phone batteries die at the most inconvenient moments. This session provides a systematic explanation for how and why this is possible. Session 5: Energy in Ecosystems
All organisms, no matter where they are on the food chain, require a source of chemical potential energy to survive — food! Sounds simple, right? But do all organisms acquire food in the same way? And how do they harness the energy in that food? Moreover, how is this energy transferred through a food chain? This session explores the complex interactions between food and organisms. |