Genre Comprehension Skill Text Features Science Content

Nonfiction Predict • Labels Forms of Energy

• Captions
• Charts
• Glossary

Scott Foresman Science 5.14

ISBN 0-328-13956-4

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 Vocabulary What did you learn?
conduction
convection 1. What does the frequency of a sound measure?
electromagnetic radiation
energy 2. What two factors determine how much kinetic
kinetic energy energy an object has?
potential energy
thermal energy 3. What are the three ways heat moves?

4. Light energy and

sound energy have many similarities and
differences. Write to describe what some of
by differences
these similarities and Emily Gray are. Use
details from the book to support your answer.

5. Predict Suppose a pendulum is swinging

back and forth. The movement of the
pendulum produces both potential and kinetic
Picture Credits
energy. Predict at what point the potential
Every effort has been made to secure permission and provide appropriate credit for photographic material.
The publisher deeply regrets any omission and pledges to correct errors called to its attention in subsequent editions.
energy and kinetic energy will be greatest
Photo locators denoted as follows: Top (T), Center (C), Bottom (B), Left (L), Right (R), Background (Bkgd). during the swing of the pendulum.
Opener: Tom Szuba/Masterfile Corporation; 2 Dean Siracusa/Alamy Images; 4 Aflo Foto/Alamy Images; 5 (T) Tom Szuba/
Masterfile Corporation; 9 (BR) Getty Images; 11 (BR) Getty Images; 13 (T) M. Moellenberg/Masterfile Corporation;
15 (R) © Stockbyte; 16 ImageState/Alamy Images; 17 Rob Matheson/Corbis; 18 (B) Digital Vision; 21 (B) Dr. Arthur
Tucker /Photo Researchers, Inc.; 22 (T) Victoria Pearson/Getty Images.

Scott Foresman/Dorling Kindersley would also like to thank: 13 (BR) Denoyer-Geppert International/DK Images;
20 (BR) Stephen Oliver/DK Images.

Unless otherwise acknowledged, all photographs are the copyright © of Dorling Kindersley, a division of Pearson.

ISBN: 0-328-13956-4

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any
prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. For information regarding permission(s), write to
Permissions Department, Scott Foresman, 1900 East Lake Avenue, Glenview, Illinois 60025.

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 V010 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05
Energy
standard bulb

The word energy can refer to many different things.

In science, energy is the ability to do work or cause a change. fluorescent bulb
Energy can change matter in several ways. An object’s
motion, color, shape, temperature, or other qualities can
be changed by energy.
Fluorescent light
You are probably familiar with sound, light, electricity, bulbs use energy
and magnetism. But there are many forms of energy. more efficiently
Chemical energy is the form that holds molecules together. than standard
light bulbs.
Nuclear energy holds the nucleus of an atom together.
Mechanical energy is the energy of objects that are moving
or may start to move. Thermal energy is the energy of heat. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can, however,
change form or transfer from one object to another object.
Gasoline’s chemical energy For example, the liquid gasoline in a car’s gas tank has
is converted to mechanical
chemical energy. When it burns inside the engine, the
energy inside a car’s engine.
chemical energy is converted to mechanical energy. The
gasoline turns into a gas that expands rapidly, driving the
engine and turning the car’s wheels. Heat, light, and sound
energy are also released by the exploding gas.
Many devices we use each day change the form of energy.
An electric stove turns electric energy into thermal
energy, which heats food. The stove also creates light
energy, which can be seen in the glowing burners.
The amount of energy that moves or
changes can be measured. People can then
determine how energy-efficient devices are.
For example, fluorescent light bulbs are
more efficient than standard light bulbs.
A fluorescent bulb uses less electricity to
produce the same amount of light.

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Kinetic Energy A bowling ball’s
kinetic energy is the
Kinetic energy is produced by the motion of an object. combination of its
speed and its mass.
The amount of kinetic energy an object has depends on its
mass and speed.
An object’s kinetic energy increases as its speed
increases. If you hit a baseball with a bat slowly, the baseball
will not travel very far. If you swing the bat quickly, the ball
you hit will travel much farther. The bat will have more
kinetic energy. The amount of kinetic energy the bat has
will affect the distance the ball travels.

Kinetic energy is also affected by the mass of an object.

A fast-moving bat has more
For example, picture a bowling ball and a foam ball the same
kinetic energy than one
that moves slowly. size. If you roll the bowling ball at some bowling pins, you
can easily knock down the pins. If you use the foam ball, the
pins probably won’t move at all. Although the two objects
are the same size, the bowling ball has more mass, and
therefore has more kinetic energy.
Kinetic energy can also be changed
into other forms of energy. When you
clap your hands, they have kinetic
energy. When they strike each
other, the kinetic energy turns
into sound energy. The harder
your hands come together, the
louder the sound.

Clapping changes kinetic

energy into sound energy.

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 Potential Energy Another type of potential
Potential energy is energy that energy can be explained by looking
collects in an object. It is sometimes at the spring in a windup toy. As
called stored energy. There are several you wind up the key on the side of
types of potential energy. An object’s the toy, the spring is compressed,
position can affect the amount of storing potential energy. The more
potential energy it has. you wind the key, the more
Gravitational potential energy is potential energy is stored. When
one type of potential energy. If a you let go of the toy, it starts
roller coaster car sits at the top of to move. The potential energy
a hill on the track, it has potential stored in the spring is converted
energy. It is not moving, but as it to kinetic energy.
starts to roll down the hill, its Magnets can have a similar kind
potential energy becomes kinetic of potential energy. If you hold the
energy. An object’s gravitational north poles of two magnets
potential energy increases if it together, they will push each other
starts from a higher place. The apart. It will feel as though you are
roller coaster car rolling down a squeezing a spring. When you let
large hill will go faster than one go of the magnets, this potential When this toy is wound up,
rolling down a small hill. If the energy will turn into kinetic energy. it stores potential energy.
When it is released, the
object has more mass, it also The magnets will move away from potential energy becomes
has more gravitational each other. kinetic energy.
potential energy.

A roller coaster car has potential

energy as it sits at the top of a hill. Unlike poles on a magnet will Like poles on a magnet will
When it rolls down, the potential attract each other. repel each other.
energy becomes kinetic energy.

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Chemical Energy Nuclear Energy
Average Energy in Foods Chemical energy is created neutron
nucleus of
uranium atom
when electrons form bonds
Slice of Bread 71 between atoms in molecules.
A neutron collides
Bonds form when atoms share with an atom and the
Egg 77
electrons or whenelectrons move center of the uranium
atom splits in half.
Orange 80 from one atom to another. The
more electrons included in a bond, neutron
Apple 90
the more chemical energy the An atom is held
bond has. together by energy.
Banana 120 energy expelled
When an atom is split,
Fuels are a type of chemical some of this energy
Skim Milk 120 energy. When you burn gasoline in is released. neutron

195
a car or burn a log in a woodstove,
Bagel
you are using fuel. When fuels are Potential energy can also be
Potato 280 burned, chemical energy is changed found in the structure of atoms.
into other types of energy. Some Atoms are made up of protons,
Cup of Ice Cream 580
types of fuels have more chemical neutrons, and electrons. The
This chart shows the energy than other types of fuels. protons and neutrons of an atom
average energy values A kilocalorie is one way to measure are located in its nucleus. An atom’s
of some common foods. the heat energy given off by a electrons surround the nucleus.
burning fuel. One kilocalorie is the The nucleus of an atom contains
amount of energy needed to raise a large amount of potential energy.
the temperature of one liter Very strong forces hold the protons
of water one degree together. If the nucleus is split,
Celsius. energy is released.
Nuclear power plants
produce energy that heats water,
turning it into steam. The steam
In a nuclear power plant,
turns turbines connected to
When wood burns, chemical the bonds that hold atoms
energy is changed into light generators. The generators make together are broken, releasing
energy and heat energy. electrical energy. heat energy.

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Sound Energy Some sounds are louder
than others. This is because an 130 dB
Sound is a wave of vibrations that spreads out from a object that produces a loud
source. Vibrations are rapid back-and-forth movements of sound vibrates more than an 100 dB
an object. When sound waves travel through materials, the object that produces a quieter
molecules that make up the material vibrate. The molecules sound. If the source of a sound 80 dB
bump into nearby molecules, causing them to vibrate as well. is vibrating more, the sound
As particles vibrate, they move close together and then waves will have more energy.
back apart, over and over again. Crests are areas where Units called decibels are used
particles are close together. The distance between two crests to measure the loudness of 40 dB
is called the wavelength. The frequency of a wavelength is a sound. If the loudness of a 20 dB
the number of crests that pass by a point in one second. sound increases by 10 decibels, The decibel scale is used
to measure the loudness
Frequency also measures how fast particles are vibrating. the sound carries 10 times
of sounds.
more energy.

Your Voice
The vocal cords in your throat
vibrate when you speak. Air rushes
past the vocal cords, making the air
particles around you vibrate. The
vibrations travel through the air in
all directions as sound waves, and
other people can hear you talk.

When a bow is rubbed

across the strings of a
violin, the strings vibrate, We can control the pitch
changing kinetic energy and loudness of our voices.
into sound energy.

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How Sound Behaves Sound Transfers Energy
Sound can travel
through solids, liquids, or
gases. Sound cannot travel
through a vacuum. A vacuum is an
empty space that does not contain
particles. Since there are no particles Bats use echoes to
to vibrate and carry sound waves, help them find food.

there is no sound. This is why there

is no sound in outer space.
When sound waves reach a different material, a few
things can happen. The sound waves can bounce back from
the border between the materials, the waves can pass, or they
can be absorbed. Echoes are sound waves that bounce, or Recording studios use special materials to absorb sound.
reflect, at the same angle at which they hit an object.
Sound waves travel at different speeds in different Sound cannot travel beyond the walls of this recording
materials. Sound travels about 1,500 meters per second in studio. Soundproofing materials are regularly used in rooms
the ocean. The speed that sound travels such as this to prevent sound from moving past a certain
in air depends on the air’s point. This means that the sound bounces around and inside
temperature. It travels about the soundproofing material many times. The material
330 meters per second in air absorbs sound energy and turns it into thermal energy. This
that is 0ºC. causes the sound to be harder to hear outside the room.
When sound reaches your outer ear
ear, your eardrum absorbs middle ear
some of the energy. Your inner ear
eardrum vibrates, and you
hear the sound.
Materials for musical
instruments are chosen
because they carry
sound waves very well.
the ear
eardrum

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 Light Energy The electromagnetic spectrum consists of the entire
range of light wavelengths. Humans can see only some of
Like sound waves, light waves have certain wavelengths these wavelengths. Some wavelengths that are too long to be
and frequencies. Light can also be reflected by, absorbed by, seen with the naked eye have low frequencies and low energy.
or pass through certain objects, just as sound can. Infrared waves, microwaves, and radio waves are types of
Light is different from sound in one major way: light is not long wavelengths. Many things that give off visible light also
a vibration of particles. Light is a form of electromagnetic produce infrared waves.
radiation, which is a combination of electric and magnetic Other wavelengths that are too short for us to see have
energy. The electrons in an object transmit, or give off, light. high frequencies. Ultraviolet light, X-ray, and gamma ray
Electromagnetic radiation makes up a spectrum, or range. radiation all have short wavelengths. These types of
Many different frequencies and wavelengths are included in this wavelengths have more energy than visible light.
spectrum. Objects that you see every day transmit or reflect The Sun is an example of a star, and all stars transmit
certain wavelengths of visible light. The light enters your eyes, visible light throughout the universe. The Sun and other
and you see the different wavelengths as different colors. stars also give off ultraviolet, infrared, X-ray, and other
radiation. Stars also give off radio waves.
The light we see is only part of
the electromagnetic spectrum.
It also includes X rays, radio
waves, and microwaves.

Radios work using

different bands of radio
waves than TVs. Microwaves can be used X rays carry more energy than
to cook food. visible light and can penetrate
soft parts of our bodies.

microwaves

radio waves radar infrared visible ultraviolet X rays gamma

waves light waves rays

14 15
 You see lightning before you
How Light Moves hear thunder because light
travels much faster than sound.

Sound waves are vibrations

of particles. They cannot
travel through a vacuum.
Electromagnetic waves, however,
are not vibrations of particles,
so they can travel through a
vacuum. Light travels the fastest
in a vacuum. It moves at about
300 million meters per second in
a vacuum. It doesn’t travel as fast
through materials such as air or
water. Light travels much faster
than sound.
Light moves in straight lines.
Light waves move in the same
way, even if they come from
different objects. Light from
the Sun, from light bulbs, or
from a candle all move in the
same manner.
The speed of light or the
direction of light may change,
depending on the type of
material it passes through. Dense
Sometimes you can see that
materials usually slow light down
light travels in straight lines. more than less dense materials.

16 17
 Light also bends, or refracts,
when it passes at an angle from
one type of material into another
type of material. Prisms are
transparent objects that bend the
different wavelengths of light and
separate those wavelengths. When
white light enters a prism, it exits
as different colors. Rainbows
appear because light reflects and
refracts through water droplets in
the air.

When light is absorbed by your skin, it turns into

thermal energy. This is why sunlight feels warm.
White light is a mixture
of wavelengths from
different parts of the Raindrops can act as When there is a dense object in the path of light,
spectrum. A prism splits prisms, turning white a shadow is cast. Light bends at the edges of the object.
white light into its sunlight into a rainbow.
The size of a shadow depends on the size of the object and
component colors.
its distance from the light source. Shadows are larger when
the object is larger and closer to the light source.
When light is absorbed, light energy is transformed into
thermal energy. That is why an object that is directly under
the Sun is warmer than an object that is in the shade.
Colored material absorbs some frequencies and wavelengths
of light. It reflects other frequencies. The ones that are
reflected produce the colors that we see.

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Thermal Energy Materials with more
thermal energy have
high temperatures.
When you take a warm cake out of the oven, the cake
has kinetic energy because it is moving. After the cake is
put down, it still contains a form of kinetic energy. This is Temperature
because the atoms inside the cake are moving, producing Temperature is a measure of thermal energy.
thermal energy. Thermal energy is the total of all the The temperature of a material is associated with
kinetic and potential energy of the atoms of an object. the average kinetic energy of its particles. Objects
are made up of many different particles, and some
Phase Changes of those particles are usually faster, or hotter, than
other particles.
Matter can exist as a solid, a liquid, or a gas. Changes in Thermometers are commonly
these states are known as phase changes. used to measure temperature. Most
As the thermal energy of a material increases, the particles thermometers contain a liquid,
of the material move more quickly. If the thermal energy of such as mercury or alcohol, in
a solid increases enough, the solid may melt into a liquid. an enclosed tube. As the
The thermal energy of a liquid form of a substance is always temperature increases, the
higher than the solid form of a substance. liquid expands. The amount
Another phase change can occur if the liquid that the liquid expands tells us
continues to increase in heat. If the particles the temperature of a substance.
of a material heat up enough, the
material will turn into a gas.

This thermographic image

shows which areas are hot
and cold. Red areas are
warmer than blue areas.

The atoms in the liquid water are moving faster

than those in the ice. The atoms in the boiling water
are moving faster than those in the liquid water.

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 Conduction, Convection, The convection process transfers heat when liquids
And Radiation or gases move in a specific way. When a liquid or gas is
heated, its particles move faster and spread apart. A hot
If you sit in a warm car or touch liquid or gas is less dense than when it is cooler. It floats
a mug of hot cocoa, you feel warmth. to the top. As it cools, the liquid or gas becomes denser
Thermal energy moves between and sinks, moving in a circular pattern.
materials with different temperatures. Radiation is the transfer of heat by electromagnetic
Thermal energy normally flows from waves. Heat is usually transferred by infrared waves.
warmer substances to cooler Other types of electromagnetic waves can also transfer
substances. This energy flows between heat. As objects give off heat, their temperature
you and the things around you, making decreases. Energy has many forms and moves in many
you feel warm or cool. This movement ways. It is in sounds, heat, light, electricity, and moving
of thermal energy is what we usually objects. In fact, energy is all around you all the time.
call heat. Whenever you walk down the street, hear a song, or even
Heat moves in three ways: feel sunlight on your face, you are experiencing energy!
conduction, convection, and radiation.
Thermal energy is transferred by
conduction when two materials touch A metal pan conducts heat
from the stove to the food.
and their particles collide. The warmer
The wooden handle does
The heat rising from object transfers some of its kinetic not conduct heat well, so
the mug is an example energy to the particles of the cooler it protects your hand.
of convection.
object. The temperature of the warmer
object decreases as energy
flows to the cooler object. If
the two objects are in contact
for enough time, the kinetic
energy will continue to flow
until the temperatures of
both objects are equal.
The heat you feel from an
electric heater is radiation.

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 Vocabulary
Glossary What did you learn?
conduction
convection 1. What does the frequency of a sound measure?
electromagnetic radiation
conduction the movement of heat between two
energy objects that are touching 2. What two factors determine how much kinetic
kinetic energy energy an object has?
potential energy the transfer of heat by a moving liquid
convection
thermal energy or gas 3. What are the three ways heat moves?

electromagnetic the combination of electric and 4. Light energy and

radiation magnetic energy sound energy have many similarities and
differences. Write to describe what some of
energy the ability to do work or cause a change these similarities and differences are. Use
details from the book to support your answer.
kinetic energy energy that is produced by the motion
of an object 5. Predict Suppose a pendulum is swinging
back and forth. The movement of the
potential energy energy stored in an object pendulum produces both potential and kinetic
Picture Credits
energy. Predict at what point the potential
thermal energy the total of all the kinetic and potential
Every effort has been made to secure permission and provide appropriate credit for photographic material.
energy and kinetic energy will be greatest
The publisher deeply regrets any omission and pledges to correct errors called to its attention in subsequent editions.
energy of the atoms of an object
Photo locators denoted as follows: Top (T), Center (C), Bottom (B), Left (L), Right (R), Background (Bkgd). during the swing of the pendulum.
Opener: Tom Szuba/Masterfile Corporation; 2 Dean Siracusa/Alamy Images; 4 Aflo Foto/Alamy Images; 5 (T) Tom Szuba/
Masterfile Corporation; 9 (BR) Getty Images; 11 (BR) Getty Images; 13 (T) M. Moellenberg/Masterfile Corporation;
15 (R) © Stockbyte; 16 ImageState/Alamy Images; 17 Rob Matheson/Corbis; 18 (B) Digital Vision; 21 (B) Dr. Arthur
Tucker /Photo Researchers, Inc.; 22 (T) Victoria Pearson/Getty Images.

Scott Foresman/Dorling Kindersley would also like to thank: 13 (BR) Denoyer-Geppert International/DK Images;
20 (BR) Stephen Oliver/DK Images.

Unless otherwise acknowledged, all photographs are the copyright © of Dorling Kindersley, a division of Pearson.

ISBN: 0-328-13956-4

Copyright © Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any
prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any form by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. For information regarding permission(s), write to
Permissions Department, Scott Foresman, 1900 East Lake Avenue, Glenview, Illinois 60025.

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 V010 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05

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