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P1 Conservation and dissipation of energy – Aiming

for Grade 4

Aims
Using liquid and coins, you will model processes where energy is transferred
from one form to another. You will practise calculations involving gravitational
potential energy, kinetic energy, elastic potential energy, work done, power, and
efficiency. You will consider situations where energy is wasted, and how that
situation links to the idea of dissipation.

Learning objectives
After completing this activity, you should be able to:
 name different types of energy store
 do calculations involving gravitational potential energy, kinetic energy,
elastic potential energy, work done, power, and efficiency
 describe the difference between efficient and inefficient devices in terms of
dissipation.

Safety
Do not drink the liquid. Ensure elastic bands do not cause injury.

Equipment
Part 1
 Four 250 ml beakers
 Coloured liquid
 Pieces of card, about 8 cm  3 cm to use as labels
 Elastic bands to secure labels to beakers
 Coins or counters
Part 2
 Bouncy balls
 Tray of sand
 Metre ruler
 Digital balance (to measure mass of balls)
Part 3
 Calculator

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Worked example 1
Calculate the change in gravitational potential energy of a mountaineer who has
climbed a mountain that is 3000 m high. The mass of the mountaineer is 70 kg.
g  10 N/kg.

Step 1: Write down what you know.

change in height h  3000 m
mass m  70 kg
g  10 N/kg
Step 2: Use the equation for Ep to find gravitational potential energy.
Ep  m  g  h
 70 kg  10 N/kg  3000 m
 2 100 000 J

Worked example 2
Calculate the kinetic energy of a sprinter of mass 70 kg who is running at 10 m/s.

Step 1: Write down what you know.

mass m  70 kg
speed v 10 m/s
Step 2: Use the equation for Ek to find kinetic energy.

Ek   m  v2

  70  (10)2

 3500 J

Task
Part 1: Modelling energy transfer and dissipation
Modelling is a very useful way to understand what is happening in a process
where you cannot see the detail of what is happening. You could model a ball
falling to the ground like this:
 Step 1: Identify the store that has more energy at the start point – that is,
before the ball is dropped.
 At the start there is more energy in the gravitational store.

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 Step 2: Identify the store that has more energy at the end – that is, just
before the ball hits the ground.
 At the end there is more energy in the kinetic store.
 Label beakers with the stores: gravitational and kinetic. Pour the liquid into
the one at the start. Then transfer the ‘energy’ to the store at the end.
 Think which other stores might fill up as well. There is air resistance, so
you could pour a little of the ‘energy’ into a third beaker labelled ‘thermal store of
the surroundings’ too.
A Look at the list of processes/device in the table below. Complete the first
three rows of the table. In each box write the type of energy store and
where that energy is stored, for example ‘chemical energy stored in the
battery’. Pick two other devices or processes and complete the final two
rows of the table.

Store or stores at the start Store or stores at the end

battery powered radio
candle
cyclist cycling downhill

B For each of the processes use the beakers and liquids to demonstrate
what happens in the process.
C Another way of modelling energy transfer is to use coins or counters to
represent small ‘units of energy’. Work out a way to model energy
transfers in a process or device by just using the coins or counters.

Part 2: Calculating energy

A Collect one of the bouncy balls and measure the mass. You are going to
lift it to various heights. Start with a height of 1 m and work out the
gravitational potential energy (Ep) at that height. g  10 N/kg.
B Drop it and measure the height of the bounce. Calculate Ep at that height.
C Use your two answers for Ep to find the difference in Ep.
D Use what you know about the conservation of energy to complete the final
column.

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E Record your results in the table:

Energy
Height Ep at
Ep at drop Height bounced Difference transferred to the
dropped bounce
height in J to in m in Ep in J surroundings
from in m height in J
in J
1.00
0.50
0.25

Part 3: Power and efficiency

A Here are some electrical items with the energy that they transfer per
second. Complete the table, and add the unit of power.

Energy Power
Item Job it does Time
transferred in ___
kettle 3000 J 2 seconds
light bulb 6000 J 1 minute
radio 600 J 30 seconds
oven 10 kJ 1 second

Questions
Part 1: Modelling energy transfer and dissipation
1 a List the different types of energy store.

(2 marks)

b Circle the correct answer to complete these sentences for the modelling in Part 1
of the Task:
i In the torch the energy is transferred by an electric current / a force.
(1 mark)
ii When the cyclist moves downhill energy is transferred by an electric
current / a force. (1 mark)

2 Describe how you used the coins to model energy.

(3 marks)

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3 For all of the processes that you modelled, some energy ends up in the
surroundings.
a Name two processes that transfer energy to the surroundings.

(2 marks)

b Explain why energy transferred to the surroundings is ‘dissipated’.

(1 mark)

Part 2: Calculating energy

4 In Part 2 of the Task you did work when you lifted the ball.
a Describe what we mean by ‘work’ in science.

(1 mark)

b Calculate the work you did lifting the ball 1 m. You need to calculate the
weight of the ball from the mass. g  10 N/kg. Weight  mass  g.

(2 marks)

c Explain how you knew how to fill in the final column of the table.

(3 marks)

d Suggest and explain what happens when you drop a ball into sand instead
of onto the floor.

(2 marks)

e A ball with a mass of 0.05 kg is dropped by a student and reaches a speed

of 4 m/s just before it hits the ground. Calculate the kinetic energy.

(2 marks)

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5 A student drops a spring onto the ground and the spring compresses. The
spring constant of the spring is 100 N/m. You will need to use the equation:

elastic potential energy Ee (J)   spring constant k (N/m)  extension2 e2 (m2).

Remember that the extension should be in metres.
Complete the table. (2 marks)

Height dropped from in m Compression of spring in cm Ee (J)

1.00 2.0
0.50 1.3
0.25 1.0

Part 3: Power and efficiency

6 Write down two equations that you can use to calculate power.

(2 marks)

7 In each of the following situations write down and explain which student is
more powerful. You do not need to do any calculations.
a Student A takes 25 seconds to lift 10 books onto a shelf. Student B takes
15 seconds to lift the same books onto the shelf.

(2 marks)

b Student A transfers 10 kJ swimming for 5 minutes, and Student B transfers

8 kJ swimming for the same amount of time.

(2 marks)

8 Explain the difference between an efficient and an inefficient appliance.

(1 mark)

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9 For every 100 J of energy contained in the chemical store of petrol used by a
car, only 20 J is transferred to a kinetic store. About 50 J is transferred by heating
to the surroundings, and the remainder is transferred by sound.
a Calculate how much energy is transferred as sound.

(1 mark)

b Calculate how much energy is wasted in total.

(1 mark)

c Calculate the efficiency of the car.

(3 marks)

d A different car engine transfers 750 J to a kinetic store from the 1000 J
supplied in fuel. Is this car more or less efficient? State your answer and explain
why.

(3 marks)

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