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Kinetic energy, potential energy and force in molecule formation

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Trans. Faraday Soc., 1945, 41, 141-149

Kinetic energy, potential energy and force in molecule formation

C. A. Coulson and R. P. Bell, Trans. Faraday Soc., 1945, 41, 141 DOI: 10.1039/TF9454100141

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Kinetic energy, potential energy and force in molecule formation

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You do not have JavaScript enabled. Please enable JavaScript to access the full features of the site or access our non-JavaScript page. Kinetic energy, potential energy and force in molecule formation The first page of this article is displayed as the abstract. Download Citation Trans. Faraday Soc. , 1945, 41, 141-149 C.

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https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/energy-conversion

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Read the latest articles of Energy Conversion at ScienceDirect.com, Elsevier's leading platform of peer-reviewed scholarly literature

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https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2019/0220/1031718-the-ins-and-outs-of-improving-energy-efficiency-in-your-house/

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By James Carroll, Trinity College Dublin
For decades, the public have been warned about the impending threat of climate change to communities and ecosystems home and abroad. I, too, have lowered the tone of many a social occasion with animated and flaying descriptions of a bleak business-as-usual future. My rants probably stem from my own suppressed carbon guilt (I flew about 30,000 kilometres last year). The latest advice for reducing your carbon footprint goes straight to the heart of communities: have fewer children.

While future climate damages need to be part of the debate, most of us understand the threats at this stage. A 2017 European Commission survey showed that 68% of Irish citizens see climate change as a "very serious" problem (a bit below the EU average of 74%). While this is lower than the scientific consensus, most of us seem to get it. However, the many benefits of low-carbon living, both privately and publicly, haven't received equivalent levels of attention.

Economists and policy-makers often use a cost-benefit analysis to decide whether a particular course of action should be pursued: if the benefits outweigh the costs, take the plunge. But a household's decision to invest in energy efficiency is multidimensional and complicated, and includes many household-specific and hard-to-quantify components with long-term implications. Each individual will have to weigh-up their own pros and cons. No household is identical in consumption, attitudes and finance, and the benefits may not outweigh the costs for every household.

While the costs of, say, installing better attic insulation are clear(ish) after asking around (it will involve money, and installation could be disruptive to household routines), the benefits really depend on who you are and how you live. While an engineer can tell you how much your energy bills will decline by and an economist can predict how much your property value will increase, the benefits of living in a warmer, dryer and healthier (and probably happier) building depend on the individual. Furthermore, given that carbon reductions have an altruistic component (helping the next generation), many will also feel a private warm-glow for playing their part.

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From RTÉ One's Six One News, a report on a bungalow in Co Mayo which has been certified as Europe's most energy efficient home
The monetary and carbon savings of home energy efficiency improvements are a bitmore straightforward. The table below shows the energy bills and carbon emission for a hypothetical household living in a four bed, 150 sq metre property and driving one car 16,000 kilometres per year. Assume the household already has an efficient set of appliances and ignore the carbon associated with air travel (which can be large).

We'll also be optimistic about any behavioural changes which can lessen the expected savings of efficiency improvements, known as "rebound effects" (when you use more energy than engineers expect as it's now "cheaper" for you to warm your house). These calculations draw on various sources including house and car forecasts from the SEAI (see table notes for all details).

Under Scenario 1 (the status quo), the property has a D BER rating and the owner drives an eight-year-old two-litre diesel (about the average age in Ireland). In Scenario 2, the household upgrades to an A BER (via better insulation plus an air-to-water heat pump) and buys an electric vehicle (EV) which will be charged on the cheaper night tariff. Scenario 3 is the same as Scenario 2, except we assume that all Irish electricity is generated from renewables such as wind, solar, tidal etc.

In the status quo (Scenario 1), the household emits 11,514kg of carbon per year. Due to space and water heating, the house contributes by far the largest share (79% of the total carbon footprint). The remainder is associated with the car (17%) and appliances (just 5%).

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From RTÉ Radio 1's Mooney Goes Wild, architect Dermot Bannon on how to make a home more energy efficient and a report on Co. Clare's least energy-efficient house
The A BER upgrade and the switch to EV in Scenario 2 reduces total carbon by over two-thirds (73%). While car emissions are down 53%, the house now emits 82% less. Finally, if Ireland's generation were similar to Norway's (Scenario 3 - almost 100% renewables), this electrified household would now have near zero carbon emissions.

Energy bills drop from about €4,000 per year in Scenario 1 to less than €1,000 in Scenario 2. While it is possible that the 100% renewable situation (Scenario 3) would see a decline in electricity prices due to free "fuel", the large infrastructural investment required to achieve this may cancel out any savings. The net effect is uncertain.

Is an almost zero-carbon Ireland of 2050 actually achievable?

So is energy efficiency a good investment? A clear prerequisite is the availability of finance, but the investment is more likely to be viable when house price appreciation is considered and whether or not the hard-to-quantify components (such as improved occupant health) come into play for the investor. Viability will also depend on factors which influence the initial investment amount (such as grants) and the savings on future energy bills relative to your existing technology (such as carbon taxes).

If most households and firms insulate and electrify, there are a number of national economic and societal benefits of Scenario 3. Firstly, fuel imports from abroad would decline significantly. In 2017, we imported €4.8 billion euro in coal, petrol, diesel, gas and electricity. For context, €4.8 billion would be enough to install about 1,150 large 3-megawatt wind turbines ( €1.4 million per megawatt), which is equivalent to our current installed capacity.

Secondly, large-scale retrofitting in disadvantaged areas ( already underway) will lift many families out of fuel poverty. Thirdly, the EPA estimate that there are 1,500 premature deaths in Ireland due to air pollution. This figure would decline, as would the numbers experiencing other respiratory conditions.
READ: are electric vehicles the answer to issues around air pollution?
Is an almost zero-carbon Ireland of 2050 actually achievable? Our national grid would require significant investment to accommodate the increased variability of renewable supply (which will be at the mercy of the weather). However, the possibility of a million or so large batteries spread throughout the country in the form of EVs could help to balance supply and demand (this trend is known as Vehicle-to-Grid or V2G). The production of hydrogen on windy days for generation on less-so-windy days may also play a role. Couple this with lower-carbon food habits and a few less flights and, well, we're well on our way.
Dr James Carroll is a postdoctoral research fellow in energy economics at Trinity College Dublin The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ

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The ins and outs of improving energy efficiency in your home

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By James Carroll, Trinity College Dublin For decades, the public have been warned about the impending threat of climate change to communities and ecosystems home and abroad. I, too, have lowered the tone of many a social occasion with animated and flaying descriptions of a bleak business-as-usual future.

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https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/living/2022/0315/1286515-6-ways-to-cut-the-cost-of-washing-clothes-as-fuel-prices-soar/

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Households across the country have been hit by soaring fuel prices, which hit record highs as the cost of gas, electricity and more bore the brunt of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

It can seem challenging to find ways of saving when it comes to keeping the lights on, the dinner cooked, the house warm and the clothes washed, but there are ways of cutting costs when it comes to fuel. The answer is in your appliances - specifically, your washing machine.

Not everyone can make these changes - if you're elderly, vulnerable or have specific needs from your home appliances - but those who can stand to save hundreds each year.

Phil Smyth, a scientist with UCD Discovery, joined the Claire Byrne Live show last night to share his tips on cutting the cost of your weekly washes at home. Watch the video above now.

He outlined six ways to save on your washes:

1. Do you need to wash it? When it comes to answering this age-old question, Smyth suggests relying on the college students' favourite: the sniff test. "You're also potentially saving the clothes as well. The more that you wash them, the more you tear and rip them a little bit. Maybe you're washing things a little too much."

He pointed out that the CEO of Levi's said maybe you don't even need to wash jeans, while CNN reporter Anderson Cooper famously said he wears the same jeans every time and washes them maybe once a year - though that might be too close to the student lifestyle than we'd like.

2. Cool your wash. Why do certain appliances cost more money than others? Smyth explains that it comes down to heating, as any machine that uses heat is going to be that bit more expensive. "If you're washing a lot of stuff at 40 degrees, if you reduce that to 30 degrees, you're saving an average of 30-40 per cent of the energy cost on it", he said. "Over the course of a year, that could translate to €200, €210."

He added that washing at 20 degrees is possible, but you have to find the right detergent that works with a wash that cool. You also need to wash towels and sheets at around 60 degrees, as they have a higher bacterial load.

3. Wash in the evening. There are different rates for electricity at different times of the day, though you might not automatically be on those rates. You could be on a standard rate for a supplier, which could be 24c per kilowatt hour. Smyth explained. "But if you're on the night saver, during the day cost is a little bit higher - about 25c - but then during the night it's 12.6c."

4. Fill the drum properly. Don't stuff it, thinking you're getting more bang for your buck. Instead Smyth said you should follow the machine manual's suggestions for how much should go in, which is 80-90 per cent full. "If you can get your hand in and turn it 90 degrees at the top, that's the right amount."

Also avoid putting clothes that are tangled together in for a wash.

5. Use a shorter cycle. If your washing machine is running for less time, it will use less energy and save you money in the long run. "I will say ... these things need to be maintained, the same way a car needs to be maintained", Smyth added, saying you need to make sure your washing machine is running efficiently.

6. Air-dry where possible. Is there anything better than the first bout of "good drying weather" of the year? Air-drying your clothes not only saves energy, but leaves clothes smelling fresher. "Sometimes people use dryers, a lot of time, particularly with young families, they see it as a necessity", Smyth added.

He suggested that if you have to use a dryer, maybe do the first load together with the washing machine so the second load comes straight after, so you don't have to heat the machine again. Don't be afraid of additional spins, as they're not using heat.
Watch Claire Byrne Live on Monday nights at 10:35pm on RTÉ One.
For more tips on how to save money on your household utilities and car, watch the episode back on RTÉ Player now.

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6 ways to cut the cost of washing clothes, as fuel prices soar

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Households across the country have been hit by soaring fuel prices, which hit record highs as the cost of gas, electricity and more bore the brunt of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

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https://www.britannica.com/science/potential-energy

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potential energy, stored energy that depends upon the relative position of various parts of a system. A spring has more potential energy when it is compressed or stretched. A steel ball has more potential energy raised above the ground than it has after falling to Earth. In the raised position it is capable of doing more work. Potential energy is a property of a system and not of an individual body or particle; the system composed of Earth and the raised ball, for example, has more potential energy as the two are farther separated.

Potential energy arises in systems with parts that exert forces on each other of a magnitude dependent on the configuration, or relative position, of the parts. In the case of the Earth-ball system, the force of gravity between the two depends only on the distance separating them. The work done in separating them farther, or in raising the ball, transfers additional energy to the system, where it is stored as gravitational potential energy.

Potential energy also includes other forms. The energy stored between the plates of a charged capacitor is electrical potential energy. What is commonly known as chemical energy, the capacity of a substance to do work or to evolve heat by undergoing a change of composition, may be regarded as potential energy resulting from the mutual forces among its molecules and atoms. Nuclear energy is also a form of potential energy.

The potential energy of a system of particles depends only on their initial and final configurations; it is independent of the path the particles travel. In the case of the steel ball and Earth, if the initial position of the ball is ground level and the final position is 10 feet above the ground, the potential energy is the same, no matter how or by what route the ball was raised. The value of potential energy is arbitrary and relative to the choice of reference point. In the case given above, the system would have twice as much potential energy if the initial position were the bottom of a 10-foot-deep hole.

Gravitational potential energy near Earth's surface may be computed by multiplying the weight of an object by its distance above the reference point. In bound systems, such as atoms, in which electrons are held by the electric force of attraction to nuclei, the zero reference for potential energy is a distance from the nucleus so great that the electric force is not detectable. In this case, bound electrons have negative potential energy, and those very far away have zero potential energy.

Potential energy may be converted into energy of motion, called kinetic energy, and in turn to other forms such as electric energy. Thus, water behind a dam flows to lower levels through turbines that turn electric generators, producing electric energy plus some unusable heat energy resulting from turbulence and friction.

Historically, potential energy was included with kinetic energy as a form of mechanical energy so that the total energy in gravitational systems could be calculated as a constant.

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Potential energy | Definition, Examples, & Facts

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potential energy, stored energy that depends upon the relative position of various parts of a system. A spring has more potential energy when it is compressed or stretched. A steel ball has more potential energy raised above the ground than it has after falling to Earth.

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https://www.britannica.com/science/kinetic-energy

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Kinetic energy, form of energy that an object or a particle has by reason of its motion. If work, which transfers energy, is done on an object by applying a net force, the object speeds up and thereby gains kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is a property of a moving object or particle and depends not only on its motion but also on its mass. The kind of motion may be translation (or motion along a path from one place to another), rotation about an axis, vibration, or any combination of motions.

What is kinetic energy?

What are some ways in which the kinetic energy of an object is determined?

Which units of energy are commonly associated with kinetic energy?

Translational kinetic energy of a body is equal to one-half the product of its mass, m, and the square of its velocity, v, or mv ².

This formula is valid only for low to relatively high speeds; for extremely high-speed particles it yields values that are too small. When the speed of an object approaches that of light (3 × 10 ⁸ metres per second, or 186,000 miles per second), its mass increases, and the laws of relativity must be used. Relativistic kinetic energy is equal to the increase in the mass of a particle over that which it has at rest multiplied by the square of the speed of light.

The unit of energy in the metre- kilogram- second system is the joule. A two-kilogram mass (something weighing 4.4 pounds on Earth) moving at a speed of one metre per second (slightly more than two miles per hour) has a kinetic energy of one joule. In the centimetre-gram-second system the unit of energy is the erg, 10 −7 joule, equivalent to the kinetic energy of a mosquito in flight. Other units of energy also are used, in specific contexts, such as the still smaller unit, the electron volt, on the atomic and subatomic scale.

For a rotating body, the moment of inertia, I, corresponds to mass, and the angular velocity (omega), ω, corresponds to linear, or translational, velocity. Accordingly, rotational kinetic energy is equal to one-half the product of the moment of inertia and the square of the angular velocity, or Iω ².

The total kinetic energy of a body or a system is equal to the sum of the kinetic energies resulting from each type of motion. See mechanics: Rotation about a moving axis.

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Kinetic energy, form of energy that an object or a particle has by reason of its motion. Kinetic energy is a property of a moving object or particle and depends not only on its motion but also on its mass. The kind of motion may be translation, rotation about an axis, vibration, or any combination of motions.

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An insulation experiment to show the effect of different materials and how they retain heat. It helps students to see how they can prevent unnecessary loss of wasted energy as heat energy.

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Some students may:
• have heard about energy only in relation to foods such as bread, breakfast cereals and sports drinks;
• believe that energy can be used up;
• think that electricity is produced in power lines or transformers;
• believe that electricity is made by the ESB

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https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/p_10/kla_sci_sbm_ec_301.pdf

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https://www.nrdc.org/stories/energy-efficiency-clean-facts

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Jump to Section

Is contributing to the fight against climate change actually as easy as changing a light bulb? Granted, stemming the tide of global warming and rising sea levels is obviously more complicated than swapping in energy-saving LED bulbs. But energy efficiency is indeed an important-yet often underappreciated-tool to reduce pollution and waste.

Thanks to efficiency measures, U.S. energy use is about the same now as it was in 2000, despite economic growth of about 30 percent. In fact, energy efficiency has done more to meet America's energy needs than oil, gas, and nuclear power over the past four decades.

What Is Energy Efficiency?

Energy efficiency and energy conservation aren't the same thing, but they have a similar goal: to reduce energy use. Here's the difference. Energy conservation relies on people cutting back on activities that consume energy-by turning off lights or driving less or using appliances less often. Energy efficiency harnesses technology to help avoid or reduce energy waste so that you can still turn on the lights, drive, or wash your clothes but use less energy doing so. It really all comes down to smarter energy use.

Why Is It Important to Use Less Energy?

Using less energy through efficiency measures is good for the economy and your wallet. By reducing the amount of energy required for certain tasks, energy efficiency is also good for the planet. It can help to reduce air and water pollution caused by certain types of energy generation and avoid negative impacts on critical ecosystems-such as the obstacles a new hydroelectric dam could impose on migrating salmon. It can also relieve stress on the power grid.

Cutting Carbon Pollution

Boosting energy efficiency in buildings, vehicles, and appliances and equipment is an inexpensive, low-impact way to reduce climate pollution on a grand scale. One extremely effective way to cut carbon dioxide (CO ₂) emissions is through a more efficient home. Widespread use of efficient appliances, electronics, equipment and lighting, along with better insulation and other weatherization, could cut 550 million metric tons of carbon pollution a year by 2050-equal to the electric power emissions produced by Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, Virginia, and California in 2016.

Creating Jobs

More than 2.2 million Americans have jobs in energy efficiency or clean energy production. That's more than five times the jobs in the dirty energy industries, including coal, gas, and oil. In fact, about one in every six construction jobs in the country is connected to energy efficiency.

Lowering Bills

Energy-efficient appliances can save a U.S. household up to $500 a year on utility bills. People who live in the five least-efficient states (Wyoming, North Dakota, Alabama, South Dakota, and Mississippi) have seen their electric bills increase twice as much as those who live in the five most-efficient states (California, Oregon, Connecticut, Vermont, and New York), according to 2016 rankings. Low-income urban households have an energy burden-the proportion of income spent on energy-three times higher than that of higher-income households, partially due to lack of weatherization. Similarly, the energy burden on low-income rural families is nearly three times that of other rural households.

Improving Lives

Energy efficiency can also help people live healthier, longer lives. Cutting nationwide energy consumption by 15 percent for one year via efficiency measures could help save six American lives a day and avoid up to $20 billion in health-related problems. When power plants burn coal, oil, and natural gas, they release tiny particles into the air we breathe; these particles are linked to asthma, heart attacks, and lung cancer. Inside a home, inefficient ventilation and weatherization can also contribute to respiratory illnesses. Energy efficiency can even improve the comfort of everyday life, which may not be factored into benefit statistics.

Strengthening Independence

On a larger scale, energy efficiency can improve energy security, creating a more resilient power grid and making the country less dependent on foreign sources of fossil fuels.

Examples of Energy Efficiency

Ready to join the energy efficiency revolution? Here are some ways, large and small, to participate.

Get Smart About Energy Use

Start small by turning electronics off, tweaking your TV settings, adjusting temperature settings, and setting timers. Hunt down "energy vampires" that consume electricity even when idle.

Buy Efficient Home Appliances

Seeking out models labeled with Energy Star-a voluntary program managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy with more than 18,000 partners- can save you $4.50 for every $1 spent on electricity. The Energy Star label can be found on 75-plus types of products, including major appliances, lighting, and home electronics.

Replacing older appliances with energy-efficient models can save the average household more than $500 a year, thanks to national energy efficiency standards, and those savings could climb to $840 by 2030. Consumers are getting a double bonus, because appliances are also becoming more affordable; today a new fridge uses 75 percent less energy and, adjusting for inflation, costs less than half as much as it did in the 1970s. Meanwhile, Energy Star clothes washers use one-fourth less energy and one-third less water than standard models, cutting another utility cost.

For almost 30 years, the blue and white Energy Star label has been the gold standard for identifying the more energy-efficient appliances, buildings, and equipment. Experts estimate that the program has saved $430 billion on energy bills and reduced carbon pollution by 2.7 billion metric tons, equal to the emissions of about 670 coal-fired power plants in a year.

Heat and Cool Efficiently

If just 1 in 10 households bought Energy Star-labeled heating and cooling equipment, we'd avoid pumping 13 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions into the environment each year, equivalent to the annual tailpipe emissions of 1.2 million cars. Energy Star-labeled air conditioners, central air-conditioning units, and heat pumps can also cut your energy bill by more than $160.

Today's Energy Star-labeled ceiling fans with light fixtures are 60 percent more efficient than conventional units. Ceiling fans can make a room feel 10 percent cooler while using just 10 percent of the energy of a central air conditioner.

Super-efficient electric heat pumps are a cleaner and more affordable option for heating and cooling homes and businesses, particularly where oil and propane furnaces are the norm. Heat pumps move heat from a cool space (like the cold outdoors) to a warm space (inside a building), making the cool space cooler and the warm space warmer-many times more efficiently than burning fossil fuels to generate heat. In the vast majority of climates, heat pumps can be used as the only heat source, with no other heating device needed in the house as backup. They are also a far more efficient appliance for cooling than either the standard window air-conditioning unit or central air, and they come in different forms, depending on your home's setup: A central heat pump, for example, sits in the same spot, uses the same air ducts and thermostats, and takes the place of a central AC.

As climate change fuels more extreme weather conditions, more and more people are making the move to purchase their first air conditioner. This is the best time for you to instead buy a heat pump that can replace both your standard AC and furnace and help reduce your utility bill. Alternatively, if you wait to think about your next heating system until your gas furnace or boiler goes out, you'll face the prospect of either replacing the old gas heater with a new one-and forgoing all the benefits of getting off of gas heat.

With home and office emissions accounting for 13 percent of the nation's annual greenhouse gas emissions, you will also be doing your part to help curb the impacts of climate change by reducing the use of fossil fuels. Other benefits include cleaner air inside your home and helping to lessen the pressure on your city's electrical grid, especially during heat waves. So while the upfront cost of a heat pump might be slightly more than a standard AC without a heating function, the long-term benefits make it a worthwhile investment for your wallet and the environment.

Finally, keeping cool in summer and warm in winter requires far less energy when your house is well sealed against the elements. Consider consulting with a weatherization professional to find drafts, seeking assistance from your local utility or government, or going DIY. Then add insulation where you need it.

Switch to LED Bulbs

Brightening rooms with efficient LED bulbs can save households about $100 a year, adding up to national savings of around $12.5 billion (if LEDs were universally adopted) while cutting carbon emissions generated by electricity production.

More than 150 varieties of LED bulbs-the most efficient lighting choice-are on the market. They use up to 90 percent less energy than older, incandescent bulbs, allowing you to save up to $100 on energy bills over a bulb's lifetime.

Energy Efficiency: For Today and Tomorrow

To help consumers, NRDC has long worked to create and champion state and federal energy efficiency standards for buildings and appliances, collaborate with cities to cut energy waste in larger buildings, encourage utilities to promote efficiency, and push for efficiency improvements in building codes. However, many energy efficiency policies and standards are under attack; the Trump administration has proposed slashing budgets for a range of related initiatives, from weatherization assistance to the government's energy research. The administration has also put forward "reforms" to popular programs such as Energy Star that could undermine its success, while delaying time lines for energy efficiency standards. By speaking out against these rollbacks and changing our daily habits, we all can play a role in creating an energy-efficient future that improves the health of people and the planet.
NRDC.org stories are available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as time and place elements, style, and grammar); you can't resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you can't republish our material wholesale or automatically-you need to select stories individually; you can't republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should drop us a note to let us know when you've used one of our stories.

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Jump to Section Is contributing to the fight against climate change actually as easy as changing a light bulb? Granted, stemming the tide of global warming and rising sea levels is obviously more complicated than swapping in energy-saving LED bulbs. But energy efficiency is indeed an important-yet often underappreciated-tool to reduce pollution and waste.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqJ3ckBncyY

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Energy Conservation vs. Energy Efficiency

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Energy Efficiency vs Energy Conservation

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Energy Efficiency vs Energy Conservation

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https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/use-of-energy/efficiency-and-conservation.php

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Energy efficiency and conservation - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

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An introduction to energy efficiency and energy conservation.

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https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/teachingresources/discipline/science/continuum/Pages/usingenergy.aspx#:~:text=The%20common%20forms%20of%20energy,electromagnetic%20radiation%20%2D%20by%20everyday%20appliances.

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This focus idea is explored through:

Contrasting student and scientific views

Student everyday experiences

Energy is a word students frequently encounter and use every day. Students often associate energy with phenomena such as force, motion, heat and electricity, but they often consider this energy to be different to the energy associated with living things.

Sound and or light are often not seen by students to be forms of energy at all. For some students, energy is primarily associated with animals or humans, they see that only animals or humans can have energy.

These examples show that the meanings students have developed for the word 'energy' are less precise and more restricted than the way it is used in science. The ways students use 'energy' often vary across different contexts; electricity and living things.

Students are familiar with energy being purchased in the form of petrol, electricity or natural gas to be used by cars or household appliances. Students know that we produce heat in our homes by burning wood or natural gas or using electricity, but, as is explored in the focus idea Energy producing and consuming reactions, they often do not recognise that the energy has been transformed by the appliance into several other forms of energy (motion, heat, sound and light energy). Sometimes students think that energy is only present while the transformation is being made.

Many students have little knowledge of the comparative amounts of energy required by various household appliances or tools to operate. Most students commonly underestimate the amounts of energy needed to heat or cool things, and overestimate the energy required to operate electronic equipment like computers and CD or DVD players.

Many students know that electrical energy is generated in various ways, but they often do not distinguish the origins or sources of this energy (solar, hydroelectricity or fossil fuels) from the types of energy that are available from these sources; radiant, gravitational potential and chemical energy.

For example, petrol is often seen as a 'type' of energy rather than a store of chemical energy. The difficulty of distinguishing between the source and type of energy reflects just one of the challenges presented to students in attempting to define or even describe what energy actually is.

The focus idea Is energy conserved or running out? explores the problems in defining and describing energy.

Research: Carr, Kirkwood, Newman & Birdwhistel (1987), Driver &​ Millar (1986), Duit & Haeussler (1994), Skamp (2004), Solomon (1983, 1992), Watts (1983)

Scientific view

Because energy is so widely discussed in the world and carefully calculated by scientists it is often wrongly thought to physically exist as some kind of substance. The concept of energy has taken a long time to develop and is an invented idea created to better understand changes that occur in our world. Scientists do not know what energy is.

Heat, gravitational and chemical energy and movement are all different forms of energy. There is nothing different about the energy associated with living things. Sound and light are also forms of energy.

Sound energy involves the vibration of the particles in the medium through which the sound energy travels. Light, like radiant heat, is part of the electromagnetic spectrum and is also a form of energy. See the focus idea Light and the nature of seeing.

A force acting on an object may result in the object moving faster and gaining kinetic energy or rising higher and gaining gravitational potential energy or being compressed or stretched resulting in stored elastic potential energy. However, a force is not a form of energy.

The common forms of energy used in our houses are electrical energy, chemical energy available from fuels, food and energy originating from the sun. Electrical energy is transformed into many forms - mechanical/kinetic, sound, heat, light, and other forms of electromagnetic radiation - by everyday appliances. The chemical energy in fuels (natural gas, wood, heating oil) is mostly transformed into heat as we burn them.

All forms of energy can be measured using the same unit, Joule (J), regardless of whether energy is being considered in the physical, chemical or biological sciences. However, other units of energy (such as Calorie and Kilowatt hour) are used in different contexts. Most electricity bills are costed using kilowatt hours (kWh) and gas bills use megajoule (MJ) as their units of energy (one kWh = 3.6MJ).

To be useful energy needs to be stored in some forms to be transformed into other forms. Fuels are stores of chemical energy. We often transform these into heat and then mechanical/kinetic and then perhaps electrical energy. In hydroelectric dams, energy is stored as gravitational potential energy to be converted into kinetic and then electrical energy. Wind, coal, petrol and uranium are not forms of energy; they are sources or origins of forms of energy (kinetic, chemical and nuclear in the above examples).

Our homes are full of devices that transform energy (mainly electrical or chemical) into other forms. Electronic devices such as televisions, CD and DVD players and computers produce mainly light, sound and some waste heat and use much less energy compared to air conditioners and toasters.

The rate at which energy is transformed is called power and is measured using the watt (W). Most household appliances and tools express their rate of energy transformation (power rating) in watts thus allowing comparisons of different appliances (comparing electric, gas and wood heaters). The power of car engines is commonly expressed in horsepower, a non-metric unit.

More is said about the nature of the concept of 'energy' in the focus idea Is energy conserved or running out?

Critical teaching ideas

Energy is the same in both living and non-living things. It has many forms and can be transformed in many ways.

The common forms of energy used in our houses are electrical energy, chemical energy available from fuels, food and energy originating from the sun.

The production of electrical energy involves chains of transformations of forms of energy using a range of sources such as brown coal, gas, hydro, wind and solar.

We use energy at home mainly to heat, cool, illuminate and move things. The power rating of an appliance or tool (in watts), provides a useful way of comparing how fast these devices are transforming energy.

Explore the relationships between ideas about energy in the Concept Development Maps - Energy Transformations, The Flow of Energy in Ecosystems and Energy Resources.

At this level it is important that students understand that there are a number of forms of energy and that one form is frequently transformed into others. These ideas can be developed without attempting to define energy, or even trying to say what it is.

Similarly at this level, dealing with issues of energy transformation does not require the exploration of the more difficult concept of Conservation of Energy. One reason that this is more difficult for students than is commonly realised is that some forms of energy, (chemical and nuclear), are more difficult to understand than others. See the focus idea Energy producing and consuming reactions).

Another reason is that while energy is conserved, we are constantly told by the media that society is running out of energy. See the focus idea Is energy conserved or running out?

Teachers will have to decide when to shift from the more common and user friendly phrase 'We are using (say) electrical energy in a toaster' to the more accurate, but less friendly 'We are transforming electrical energy (into other forms)'.

The former statement carries the danger of reinforcing common conceptions about energy being a substance or electricity being used up. This issue becomes more important at later levels when one is presenting energy as being always completely conserved.

Teaching activities

The ideas students bring to learning about energy are usually not very strongly held. As stated earlier, energy is an invented concept. Teaching will involve some presentation (rather than discovery or proving from experiment) of current science.

Promote reflection on and clarification of existing ideas

Begin a discussion of energy uses in the home with questions that start from things students are comfortable with and then gradually extend their thinking. One sequence would be to begin with a very concrete question such as 'What are some things that we use electricity to do in the home?' and collect responses on the board.

Calling for some ways of grouping the responses that involve (say) heating can lead to developing a short list of some types of energy that we produce from electrical energy. This process will probably include clarifying as appropriate what are and are not considered forms of energy (sound and light are, force is not).

Having identified heat as one form of energy that we produce from electrical energy, a question such as 'What are other ways that we produce this form of energy in the home?' can lead to clarifying common energy transformations in the home and also identifying the main ways that we bring energy into homes. The discussion could be extended with a question such as 'Which of these forms of energy are produced in human/animal bodies?'

Collecting evidence/data for analysis

This topic provides opportunities to set homework that genuinely depends on the task being done at home. Nearly all electrical and many other home tools and appliances are marked with a power rating (wattage) that measures the rate of energy input. Students can collect data on this to list and compare the power ratings of appliances and tools. Once again, running some preliminary discussion and predictions about what they expect to find will make this much more purposeful.

An extension to this home based activity is to have students collect a copy of their recent electricity bill provided by their supply company. It is now a government requirement that these bills include a graph which enables the consumer to compare the seasonal use of electricity and to display the total greenhouse gas emissions.

Have students compare their accounts and calculate their electricity use at different seasons of the year. Arrange for the class to access the Government website to investigate green house gas emissions:

Clarifying and consolidating ideas for communication to others

There are many examples where what is essentially the same appliance or tool can be bought with a significant range of power ratings. Drills, food processors and televisions are just three examples.

The more powerful tools or appliances can be used for tasks that the less powerful ones cannot (or cannot do as well); this different usage can be linked back to notions of the energy or power needed for different tasks. Groups of students could each take a different appliance or tool, find advertising pictures of different versions and construct and present a poster of these versions that compare power rating and potential use.

Helping students work out some of the 'scientific' explanations for themselves

The procedure of Concept Attainment ('What's my rule' - PEEL Publications) can be used to allow students to work out the idea that 'sources of energy' are different to 'forms of energy'.

The procedure can be used to generate a lively whole class discussion. Begin by providing students with one entry each in a two column table focusing on related but different concepts. This could be done using an overhead, data projector or white board. The rule for one column would list examples of energy sources and the other column would list examples of energy types.

Stress to the students that they will not be told what the rule is for each column. The objective is to have the class induce the nature of the rule as, one by one, more examples are revealed under each column to help clarify differences. The choice of the first pair of initial terms should allow for lots of possible rules. As each subsequent example is added to each of the lists, students can eliminate potential rules that the examples no longer support.

Consider inviting students to suggest potential examples that they think can be listed under each column. Accept or reject their examples according to each rule. Having negative examples that do not fit the rule may assist students to formulate the rules more quickly.

Consider introducing the teaching strategy first to the class with some simple examples such as 'shapes that contain a right angle' or 'animals that eat grass', before tackling the example provided below.

Research: Mitc​hell (2007)

Further resources​

Energy - this CSIRO site provides a range of further resources on aspects of energy.

Sustainability Victoria Resource Smart - this site provides a range of classroom activities and information on sustainability.

ResourceSmart AuSSI Vic - is a Victorian Government initiative that helps schools benefit from embedding sustainability in everything they do.

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This focus idea is explored through: Energy is a word students frequently encounter and use every day. Students often associate energy with phenomena such as force, motion, heat and electricity, but they often consider this energy to be different to the energy associated with living things.

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https://www.bordgaisenergy.ie/home/energy-conservation-tips

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Ways of conserving energy

With energy conservation becoming significant for homes, businesses, industries, and even countries, it is good to evaluate various ways of conserving it. Energy waste reduction is at the forefront of our national planning strategy and you too can chip in and play your part.

The following are some of the ways you can conserve energy in your home and business;

Invest in Renewable Energy

Renewable energy resources, such as solar energy and wind energy, help homes and businesses to conserve energy. Fossil fuels, such as coal and natural gas, are at the risk of exhaustion, and they pollute our environment. Solar energy is an affordable energy alternative that can easily be installed in a home or business. When you install your own energy system, you will be able to manage energy consumption better.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) offers renewable energy grants to help homeowners and businesses to adopt solar energy, heat pumps and a whole host of home energy upgrades. Taking advantage of such grants and choosing an installer with good terms, can help homes and businesses get reliable energy systems without necessarily incurring great upfront costs.

Installing your own energy system ensures that you are completely in charge of your energy conservation goals. When you rely on national or main grids for electricity, you may end up receiving high energy bills due to the constantly fluctuating energy prices. Also, such sources are known for power interruptions and outages. Thus, installing a renewable energy system is one of the key ways of conserving energy.

Once you've installed your own energy system, you can efficiently regulate consumption levels throughout your home. You can set the periods when to switch on heating or cooling systems without having to worry about your electricity provider reliability, making this one of the major steps toward energy conservation and independence.

Insulate Your Home

Homes and businesses that conserve energy are usually well insulated to seal against air leaks. When a home is not well insulated, warm air can easily be lost via cracks and other open spaces within a home. More energy will be used to warm a home when the heated air keeps vanishing through spaces in the wall. Insulating such spaces will ensure that minimal energy is used for heating a home.

Different types of insulations can be carried out at your home to ensure you do not use more energy than needed. These insulations include; cavity wall insulation, external wall insulation, internal wall insulation, and attic insulation.

Approximately 35 percent of a home's heat is lost via external walls. If your home has cavities that are not insulated, it is the time to seal them in order to improve energy conservation.

For concrete walls without cavities, external wall insulation is another great option. External wall insulation involves wrapping a layer of stable and rigid insulation around your home. If the internal room's space is not an issue for your house, you may also consider internal wall insulation where extra insulating cardboards will be put inside your home. A home's heat can also be lost via attics. To avoid heat loss through the attic, it is good to insulate the attic using a thick layer of insulating material.

When a home is properly insulated using some of the mentioned insulation options, energy is conserved from heating requirements of that home. This ensures that a home retains its heat within the inside without having to use extra energy to provide warmth.

Use Energy-Saving Light Bulbs

Homes that use incandescent light bulbs to illuminate are wasting a lot of energy. Incandescent light bulbs consume a lot of energy to perform their lighting work. These light bulbs are very inefficient, and about 90 per cent of energy is emitted as wasted heat, with just 10 per cent released as visible light.

To conserve energy at your home and business, ensure you're using compact fluorescent lights (CFL) or light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs. CFL and LED light bulbs are very efficient, and they consume 25-80 per cent less electricity than the incandescent bulbs. These bulbs are also 3 to 25 times longer lasting than traditional light bulbs.

Energy-efficient light bulbs may be more expensive than the incandescent ones, but their energy-saving capability yields better returns in the long run.

Install a Smart Thermostat

A core component of the modern Irish smart home, a smart, programmable thermostat can easily be set to turn on and off automatically when you're away from home or asleep eliminating energy waste.

It allows you to set the desired temperatures, which switch on and off automatically. This means you can turn on your home's heating system automatically while at work to have it warm before you arrive.

Our latest estimates indicate that a smart thermostat can save you up to €200 per year. They usually come in different models that can be programmed to fit your weekly schedule.

Some smart thermostats such as the Hive Active Heating System that we offer at Bord Gáis Energy also have additional features that can be used to alert you when it's time to replace air filters and warn you when there are technical errors throughout your home heating system, making it a truly innovative way to conserve energy.

Upgrade Your Windows and Doors

A significant amount of heat can be lost through windows and doors. High energy-conserving windows are specifically designed to keep heat inside your home when needed. They are also designed to keep external heat, cold, and humidity outside. They usually entail multiple-glazes, low E-coatings, and energy-saving capabilities.

The upfront cost of such windows and doors might be high, but the long-run benefits are worth the investment. Upgraded windows and doors also offer comfort for homes. Outdated windows and doors allow uncomfortable drafts into your house, but the upgraded ones eliminate them. Thus, upgraded windows and doors help you to conserve energy.

With solving the complex issue of promoting Green Energy in mind, Bord Gáis Energy has partnered with Irish solar PV installation specialists Energlaze Home Energy Upgrades, a market-leading company in the development and installation of energy-efficient solar solutions nationwide.

Install an Efficient Water Heater or Heat Pump

Water heating is a significant expense for many Irish homes, accounting for up to 12 percent of your monthly domestic utilities bill. This alone should help ensure that more efficient water heating forms a significant part of your energy conservation goals.

There are different water heaters available in the Irish market. The first is a storage water heater which contains a big tank where the water is heated. Secondly, tankless water heaters which heat water as it passes via a circuit, thus eliminating the need to use a tank.

Tankless water heaters such as heat pumps are more energy-efficient than the conventional storage water heaters. Heat pump water heaters use electricity to move heat from one place to another instead of generating heat directly.

You would also conserve a lot of energy when you use solar water heaters. Solar thermal systems are usually designed to meet 50 to 60 percent of your overall water heating needs. This means that heating your water with solar thermal systems reduces your energy consumption all year round. SEAI offers solar water heating grants to help you handle the upfront costs. The solar water heating grant value is €1200. These water heaters are a great way to conserve energy.

Upgrade to More Energy Efficient Appliances

Home appliances usually account for about 13 percent of a home's energy use. When purchasing a home or business appliance, close attention should be paid to its energy consumption rate.

The upfront purchasing price of a new Smart TV or sound system may be high, but the long-term conservation benefits will far surpass the initial outlay costs. The operating costs of energy-efficient appliances are usually 9 to 25 percent lower than conventional 'non smart' appliances.

Plan Your Home Properly

When building a new home, it's wise to consider the building's energy efficiency in advance. The initial planning and construction plans should involve projections of energy consumption levels to meet your current and future requirements.

An increasingly common feature in sustainable home building, the passive solar design usually uses the sun for lighting and heating purposes without incorporating mechanical devices. Adopting such designs can significantly cut your need for additional light and heat sources.

The construction process should incorporate steel doors, glazed windows, heat repellent roofing, well designed and insulated attics, overhangs, as well as other necessary energy-efficient measures and the planning phase is critical to ensure you make the right material choices when building a new home or upgrading to an energy-efficient one.

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Conserve Energy for Your Pocket & Our Planet | Bord Gáis Energy

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Ways of conserving energy With energy conservation becoming significant for homes, businesses, industries, and even countries, it is good to evaluate various ways of conserving it. Energy waste reduction is at the forefront of our national planning strategy and you too can chip in and play your part.

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https://phet.colorado.edu/sims/html/energy-skate-park-basics/latest/energy-skate-park-basics_en.html
This game allows students to see how potential energy is changed to kinetic energy and how energy cant be created or destroyed

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https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/what-is-energy/

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Energy is the ability to do work

Scientists define energy as the ability to do work. Modern civilization is possible because people have learned how to change energy from one form to another and then use it to do work. People use energy to walk and bicycle, to move cars along roads and boats through water, to cook food on stoves, to make ice in freezers, to light our homes and offices, to manufacture products, and to send astronauts into space.

Energy can be converted from one form to another. For example, the food you eat contains chemical energy, and your body stores this energy until you use it as kinetic energy during work or play. The stored chemical energy in coal or natural gas and the kinetic energy of water flowing in rivers can be converted to electrical energy, which can be converted to light and heat.

Energy sources are renewable or nonrenewable

There are many different sources of energy, but they can all be divided into two categories:

Renewable and nonrenewable energy sources can be used as primary energy sources to produce useful energy such as heat, or they can be used to produce secondary energy sources such as electricity and hydrogen.
Last updated: December 27, 2022

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Scientists define energy as the ability to do work. Modern civilization is possible because people have learned how to change energy from one form to another and then use it to do work.

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https://taraenergy.com/blog/what-is-energy-a-guide-to-understanding-energy/#:~:text=When%20it%20comes%20to%20our,scale%20and%20off%2Dgrid%20production.
Points from this article can be shared with students to introduce the topic of energy

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Energy is all around us. It's responsible for making everything happen, whether you want to use any household appliance, take a walk through the park, drive your car across town, or do anything that involves movement or activity. But what is energy? Though we are constantly surrounded by it, the nature of this elusive yet omnipresent force is often misunderstood - or not thought about at all.

What Is Energy?

Simply put, . energy is the ability to do work . Work in this context is when a force acts upon an object to cause a displacement of the object. There are three main components of work: force, displacement, and cause nergy is the quantitative amount of work that must be done to an object to create these components. E

Although we often hear or read about energy consumption, it's never really consumed. It is actually transferred between states and from one form or object to the next, always doing work on the objects in the process.

Why Is Energy Important?

Why Is Energy So Important in Our Lives?

Energy is so important in our daily lives because it is a basic human need. We use energy to not only heat our human-made structures but we use it to cool them as well. Energy is necessary for getting up out of bed, walking down the street, or even lifting your finger. It's also necessary in abundance for all types of modern conveniences, from light bulbs to appliances to vehicles.

Why Do We Need Energy?

We need energy for countless reasons. First and foremost, it is needed to simply stay alive. Energy is in everything that we eat, consume, or use.

Energy fuels and regulates the body's natural internal functions . It repairs cells and body tissue, is used to build muscle, and is necessary to maintain homeostasis - and the harsher the environment, the more energy is needed to maintain this.

Going a little deeper into the human body, energy is needed to produce enzymes, contract and move muscles, and carry electrical impulses between cells. In society, energy is needed for everything from driving to watching television to keeping homes and businesses lit with artificial light.

Where Does Our Energy Come From?

Energy is all around us. Ultimately, nearly all energy comes from the sun, where nuclear fusion reactions create massive amounts of energy as atoms are fused in the core and released out towards Earth. But the energy we use in everyday life comes from a variety of sources that have captured and stored this initial energy.

Where Can Energy Be Found?

For societal and industrial uses, energy can be found stored in fossil fuels, in the atomic bonds of nuclear particles, or powered by the Earth's processes such as wind power, hydropower, or geothermal energy. These are also considered primary energy sources, because we are extracting energy directly from them.

Where Does Most Of Our Electrical Energy Come From?

What Are the Types of Energy Sources?

There are many different types of energy sources, but all of them fall under one of two main categories of energy: potential energy and kinetic energy. These are the basic types that are broadly responsible for all processes in the universe from planetary orbits to grass growing from soil.

Potential energy is a form of energy that is stored in objects. These objects hold the potential to release this energy. This is due to their position, making potential energy relative to whatever factors are acting upon the objects.

WIthin potential energy, there are two main types: elastic potential energy and gravitational potential energy . Th e former is best demonstrated in an object like a slingshot, which stores the energy that is created from pulling back the rubber band, while the latter is found in anything that is suspended above the ground or along an incline.

Though gravitational and elastic potential energy are different, in both forms energy gained comes from the potential energy that was stored in the objects before being knocked out of equilibrium. The difference is in whether they were knocked out of this by elastic rebound or gravity.

Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. It's created only after potential energy is released, typically by gravity or elastic forces.

When more potential energy is released, more work is done and the object in question begins to accelerate, which increases kinetic energy. The most important factors for kinetic energy are the velocity and the mass of the object carrying the energy.

What Type of Energy Is Food?

Chemical energy is stored in food , which we convert into usable energy to move our muscles, carry out cellular functions, and fuel the body's natural systems. While chemical energy in food is commonly measured in calories, the official form of measurement for food energy is in Joules (J) - and it can be found on most packaging labels next to the calorie count. The Joule is the same unit of measurement for all types of energy , not just chemical.

What Are Natural Sources of Energy?

In a sense, everything is a natural source of energy. When we think of energy from fossil fuels or electricity that is manufactured by humans, all of this energy comes from natural sources - we have just developed ways of using the energy that had been stored inside these resources for a very long time.

Where Is Energy Stored?

Energy is stored in many different areas, and in many different ways. Where this is stored depends on the type of energy or object in question.

Where Is Energy Stored In A Molecule?

Energy is stored in the chemical bonds of a molecule. These bonds are the forces that hold atoms together to form molecules. Some bonds are stronger than others, as there are different types. These include covalent, polar covalent, and ionic bonds . Atoms with a relatively similar electromagnetic force share electrons, connecting through covalent bonds. This is where much of the useful energy comes from within molecules.

What Is Stored Energy Called?

All stored energy is a form of potential energy. The way the energy is stored determines how you classify it. If it is stored in an object that will be released due to gravity pulling it towards the ground, then it is gravitational potential energy. If the energy is stored because of a force appalled to impart energy into the object, such as pulling on a bow or a slingshot, then it is elastic potential energy. The important thing to note is that any stored energy is always in the form of potential energy.

Can Energy Be Created?

You may have heard the phrase "energy cannot be created or destroyed," which is also known as the first law of thermodynamics . B ut you may have also heard about creating energy in power plants or wasting energy by leaving the lights on. Though this may sound contradictory, it is really just a matter of tricky wording. In reality, when we talk about creating or using energy in everyday life, we are actually talking about energy conversion.

What Are the Forms of Energy?

There are several different forms of energy, all of which are subcategories of potential or kinetic energy. These forms include chemical energy, electrical energy, radiant energy, thermal energy, and mechanical energy.

Is Light A Form of Energy?

Differing wavelengths can also tell us a great deal about the energy associated with light . For example, microwaves are very short wavelengths and are known throughout the world for their ability to quickly heat food, due to their electromagnetic energy. Radio waves are also directly dependent on their wavelength, as that is how radio stations and radio signals are coded. According to the length of waves being broadcast, receivers can tune in and turn the incoming waves into sounds and images.

X-rays are another famous example of electromagnetic radiation doing wonders for human beings - they are able to pass through flesh but not bone, allowing us to map an image of the skeletal system as if we are able to see through the skin.

Why Should We Conserve Energy Resources?

Although energy cannot be created or destroyed, it is still important that we conserve it in the sense of being smart about using the available energy within our environment. Our decisions about how we use energy impact the planet's natural systems in complex ways. It's vital that we choose our energy sources carefully and be mindful of the amount of energy we use.

Energy efficiency is also a major factor in conserving energy resources. Energy efficient appliances, vehicles, and buildings go a long way toward making good energy decisions - as well as ensuring your electricity comes from a reliable, efficient source.

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What Is Energy? A Guide to Understanding Energy

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Energy is all around us. It's responsible for making everything happen, whether you want to use any household appliance, take a walk through the park, drive your car across town, or do anything that involves movement or activity. But what is energy?

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https://youtu.be/eBsU9DVa7ws

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The Difference Between Kinetic and Potential Energy

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BC: Being Creative - Designing Experiment

BL: Being Literate - Writing up experiment + explaining words

BN: Being Numerate - Making calculations

C: Communicating - Talking to peers

MI&T: Managing Information and Thinking - Students given information from different sources and trying to relate it to classwork

MM: Managing Myself

SW: Staying Well

WWO: Working with others - Students asked to think, pair, share and also work in groups for experiments

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Physical World 6

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PW 7, NOS 3, NOS 10