Using Energy and Heat

Energy Transfers and Transformations

Key Concepts
What do you think? Read the two statements below and decide
whether you agree or disagree with them. Place an A in the Before column
if you agree with the statement or a D if you disagree. After youve read
this lesson, reread the statements to see if you have changed your mind.
Before

Statement

After

3. In most systems, no energy is transferred to

What is the law of

conservation of energy?
How is energy transformed
and transferred?
What are renewable and
nonrenewable energy
resources?

the environment.
4. Some forms of energy are replenished naturally.

3TUDY#OACH

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Law of Conservation of Energy

The law of conservation of energy says that energy can be
transformed from one form to another, but it cannot be created or
destroyed. In the flashlight below, chemical energy of the
battery is transformed to electric energy that moves through
the contact strip to the bulb. The electric energy is
transformed into radiant energy and thermal energy in the
lightbulb. The law of conservation of energy states that the
amount of radiant energy shining out of the flashlight
cannot be greater than the chemical energy in the battery.

Identify the Main Ideas

Write one sentence to
summarize the main idea in
each paragraph. Write the
main ideas on a sheet of
paper or in your notebook
to study later.

Visual Check

1. Trace the flow of energy

from the batteries to the bulb.

Flashlight Cutaway
Contact strip
usually copper or brass, carries
current through the battery

On/off switch
completes the electric connection
when turned on

Bulb
electric energy converted to radiant
energy (light) and thermal energy

e
e
e

e
e

Batteries
stored chemical energy

Reading Essentials

C352_007_013_RE_L2_889408.indd 7

Using Energy and Heat

209

3/8/10 11:20:36 AM

Key Concept Check

2. Explain What is the law

of conservation of energy?

Efficiency The amount of radiant energy given off by a

flashlight is less than the chemical energy in the battery.
Where is the missing energy? In this lesson, you will learn
that in every energy transformation, some energy transfers
to the environment.

Energy Transfer
When a tennis player hits a ball with her racket, the
mechanical energy of the racket changes the movement of
the ball. The mechanical energy of the ball increases after
it is hit. When energy moves from one object to another without
changing form, an energy transfer occurs. The tennis racket
transfers mechanical energy to the tennis ball.

Energy Transformation
Key Concept Check

3. Identify an energy
transfer and an energy
transformation that occur
when someone plays a guitar.

Where does the mechanical energy in the tennis players

racket come from? Chemical energy stored in the players
muscles changes to mechanical energy when she swings her
arm. When one form of energy is converted to another form of energy,
an energy transformation occurs.

Energy and Work

Suppose the tennis player is standing still before she serves

the ball. She is using her muscles to hold the ball. Is she doing
work on the ball? No. She is not doing work because the ball
is not moving. If a force does not make an object move in
the direction of the force, it does no work on the object.

Inefficiency of Energy Transformations

N
Re onre
sou new
rce ab
s le

R
Re ene
sou wa
rc ble
es

Make a two-tab book to

explain renewable and
nonrenewable resources.

210

Using Energy and Heat

C352_007_013_RE_L2_889408.indd 8

When a tennis player hits a ball with a racket, most of

the mechanical energy of the racket transfers to the ball, but
not all of it. You know when a ball hits a racket because you
can hear a sound. Some of the mechanical energy of the racket
is transformed to sound energy. In addition, some of the
mechanical energy of the racket is transformed to thermal
energy. The temperature of the racket, the ball, and the air
surrounding both objects increases slightly. Anytime an
energy transformation or an energy transfer takes place,
some energy is transformed into thermal energy.

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Work is the transfer of energy that occurs when a force makes an

object move in the direction of the force. Work is only being done while
the force is acting on the object. As the tennis player swings the
racket, the racket applies a force to the ball for about 1 m.
Although the ball moves 10 m, work is done by the racket
only as the racket applies a force to the ball. When the ball
separates from the racket, the racket no longer does work.

Reading Essentials

3/8/10 11:20:40 AM

Inefficiency in a Flashlight Recall the flashlight at the

beginning of the lesson. The transformation of chemical
energy of the battery to radiant energy from the lightbulb is
inefficient, too. As the electric energy moves through the
circuit, some electric energy transforms to thermal energy.
When electric energy transforms to radiant energy in the
lightbulb, more energy transforms to thermal energy. In
some flashlights, the bulb is warm to the touch.

4. Identify What form

of energy in a flashlight is
considered to be useful
energy?

Inefficiency Defined The law of conservation of energy says

that energy cannot be created or destroyed. When scientists
say that energy transformations are inefficient, they do not
mean that energy is destroyed. Energy transformations are
inefficient because not all the energy that is transformed to
another form of energy is usable.

Open Systems
In Lesson 1, you read that scientists often study the
energy of systems. A car is a system. The chemical energy of
the fuel is transformed to mechanical energy of the moving
car. Because energy transformations are inefficient, some of
the chemical energy transforms to thermal energy and sound
energy, which are then released to the environment. An open
system, such as a car engine, is a system that exchanges matter or
energy with the environment.

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Closed Systems
Can you think of a system that does not exchange energy
with the environment? What about a flashlight? You have
read that a flashlight releases radiant energy and thermal
energy into the environment. What about your body? You
eat food, which contains chemical energy and comes from
the environment. Your body also releases several types of
energy into the environment, including thermal energy,
mechanical energy, and sound energy.
A closed system is a system that does not exchange matter or
energy with the environment. In reality, there are no closed
systems. Every physical system transfers some energy to or
from its environment. Scientists use the idea of a closed
system to study and model the movement of energy.

Reading Essentials

C352_007_013_RE_L2_889408.indd 9

Math Skills
The amount of work done on
an object is calculated using
the formula W = F d,
where W = work, F = the
force applied to the object,
and d = the distance the
object moves in the direction
of the force and while the
force is applied. For example,
a student slides a library
book across a table. The
student pushed on the book
with a force of 8.5 newtons
(N), a distance of 0.3 m. The
book slides a total distance
of 1 m. How much work is
done on the book?
W=Fd
W = 8.5 N 0.30 m =
2.55 Nm = 2.6 J
Recall that the distance used
to calculate work is the
distance the force was
applied to the object.
Note: 1 Nm = 1 J, so 2.6 J of
work was done on the book.
5. Calculate Work A
student lifts a backpack
straight up with a force of
53.5 N for a distance of 0.65 m.
How much work is done on
the backpack?

Using Energy and Heat

211

3/8/10 11:20:54 AM

Energy Transformations
and Electric Energy
You probably have heard someone say turn off the lights,
youre wasting energy. This form of energy is electric energy.
Most appliances you use every day require electric energy.
Where does this energy come from?

Renewable Energy Resources

ACADEMIC VOCABULARY
resource
(noun) a stock or supply of
materials, money, or other
assets that can be used as
needed

If you think about all of the energy used in the United

States, you realize that people need a lot of energy to
continue living the way they do. This huge demand for
energy and the desire to protect the environment has
resulted in a search for renewable energy resources. A
renewable energy resource is an energy resource that is replaced as
fast as, or faster than, it is used. Several different kinds of
renewable energy resources are available.

Solar Radiant energy from the Sun, or solar energy, is one

6. Name the element from

which photovoltaic cells are
made.

In some solar energy plants, radiant energy from the Sun

is transformed into thermal energy. The thermal energy is
used to convert water to steam. The steam turns a generator,
which transforms mechanical energy into electric energy.

Wind Have you ever driven along a highway and seen wind

Reading Check

7. State What energy

transformations occur in
a wind turbine?

212

Using Energy and Heat

C352_007_013_RE_L2_889408.indd 10

turbines? Wind turbines are built in places where winds

blow almost continuously, such as the vast open spaces of
the southwestern United States. Wind moves the blades of
the turbine, turning a generator that transforms kinetic
energy of the wind to electric energy. One of the drawbacks
of wind energy is that wind does not blow steadily at all
times. This source of electric energy is not very consistent or
predictable.

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Reading Check

energy resource that can be converted into electric energy.

Some solar energy plants transform radiant energy into
electric energy with using photovoltaic (foh toh vohl TAY ihk),
or solar, cells. Photovoltaic cells are made from thin wafers
of the element silicon. When radiant energy from the Sun
hits the cells, it knocks electrons away from the silicon
atoms. This movement of electrons is electric energy. Some
homes, businesses, and small appliances such as calculators
use photovoltaic cells to provide electricity.

Reading Essentials

3/8/10 11:20:55 AM

Hydroelectric In hydroelectric plants, falling water from

rivers and dams is channeled through a turbine. When the
turbine spins, mechanical energy is transformed to electric
energy. Most of the hydroelectric energy produced in the
United States comes from the western part of the country.
One drawback of hydroelectric energy is that dams and
turbines can interrupt the natural movements of animals in
rivers and lakes. The number of places where rivers are large
enough for these energy plants to be built is also limited.

Geothermal Earths temperature increases with depth below

Earths surface. But in a few places, Earth is hot close to the
surface. Geothermal plants are built where thermal energy
from Earth is near Earths surface. These plants transfer thermal
energy to water, which creates steam. The steam turns
turbines in electric generators. The states with the most
geothermal reservoirs are Alaska, Hawaii, and California.

Reading Check

8. State What are some

drawbacks of hydroelectric
plants?

Biomass Biomass includes wood, plants, and even manure

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

and garbage. All of these sources of stored chemical energy

can be transformed to electric energy in energy plants.
Burning biomass releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Some scientists believe this contributes to climate change and
global warming. However, when biomass crops are grown, the
plants use carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. This reduces
the overall amount of carbon dioxide from the process.

Reading Check

9. Describe how biomass

Nonrenewable Energy Resources

Most of the energy used in homes, schools, stores, and
businesses comes from fossil fuels and nuclear energy, as
shown below. Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are nonrenewable
energy resourcesenergy resources that are available in limited
amounts or that are used faster than they can be replaced in nature.

uses carbon dioxide.

Electric Energy Net Generation by Resources

as of 2007
Nonrenewable Resources

Renewable Resources

Resource

Percentage

Resource

Percentage

petroleum

1.6

biomass

about 1.0

natural gas

21.6

hydroelectric

5.8

coal

48.5

geothermal

<1.0

0.3

wind

<1.0

uranium
(nuclear power)

19.4

solar and other

<1.0

Total

91.4

Total

other gases

Reading Essentials

C352_007_013_RE_L2_889408.indd 11

Interpreting Tables
10. Examine Which
resource is used to produce
the most electric energy in
the United States?

About 8.6

Using Energy and Heat

213

3/8/10 11:20:59 AM

Fossil Fuels Did you know that when a car burns fuel, it is
releasing chemical energy that has been stored for millions
of years? Petroleum, natural gas, propane, and coal are fossil
fuels. Ancient plants stored radiant energy from the Sun as
chemical energy in their molecules. This chemical energy
was passed on to the animals that ate the plants. Over
millions of years, geological processes converted the remains
of these ancient plants and animals into fossil fuels.

Reading Check

11. Point Out What are

two disadvantages of using
fossil fuels?

Fossil fuels are a concentrated form of chemical energy

that easily transforms into other forms of energy. However,
when fossil fuels burn, they release harmful wastes such as
sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and carbon dioxide. Sulfur
dioxide and nitrogen oxide contribute to acid rain. Carbon
dioxide is suspected of contributing to global climate
change.

Nuclear Energy In nuclear energy plants, uranium atoms are

Key Concept Check

split apart in a process called nuclear fission. Nuclear fission

produces thermal energy, which heats water, producing steam.
The steam turns turbines that produce electric energy. Nuclear
energy plant emissions are not harmful, but the waste from
these plants is radioactive. The safe disposal of radioactive waste
is a major challenge associated with nuclear energy.

12. Name What are

renewable and nonrenewable
energy resources?
Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

214

Using Energy and Heat

C352_007_013_RE_L2_889408.indd 12

Reading Essentials

3/8/10 11:21:03 AM

Mini Glossary
closed system: a system that does not exchange matter or
energy with the environment

open system: a system that exchanges matter or energy with

the environment

energy transfer: when energy moves from one object to

another without changing form

renewable energy resource: an energy resource that is

replaced as fast as, or faster than, it is used

energy transformation: when one form of energy is

converted to another form of energy

law of conservation of energy: energy can be transformed

work: the transfer of energy that occurs when a force makes an

object move in the direction of the force while the force is
acting on the object

from one form to another, but it cannot be created or destroyed

nonrenewable energy resource: an energy resource that

is available in limited amounts or that is used faster than it
can be replaced in nature

1. Review the terms and their definitions in the Mini Glossary. Write a sentence explaining
the relationship between energy transfer and work.

2. In the table, list one advantage and one disadvantage of each energy resource.

Copyright Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Type of Resource

Advantage

Disadvantage

Wind

Fossil fuels

Biomass

3. Select a sentence you wrote as you read the lesson. In the space below, write a question
based on that sentence.

What do you think

Reread the statements at the beginning of the
lesson. Fill in the After column with an A if you
agree with the statement or a D if you disagree.
Did you change your mind?

Reading Essentials

C352_007_013_RE_L2_889408.indd 13

Connect ED

Log on to ConnectED.mcgraw-hill.com
and access your textbook to find this
lessons resources.

END OF
LESSON

Using Energy and Heat

215

3/8/10 11:21:11 AM