Energy!

What is energy? Energy is the ability to cause change When an object has energy, it can make things happen or do work

Kinetic Energy Kinetic energy is the energy an object has due to its motion or movement If an object isn’t moving, it doesn’t have any kinetic energy For example, when you go bowling, the bowling ball has lots of kinetic energy as it rolls down the lane

Kinetic Energy and Speed The faster something moves, the more kinetic energy it has For example, if a professional baseball pitcher throws a baseball, it will have a lot more kinetic energy than if Ms. Alison throws it. Ms. Alison is not very good at baseball 

Kinetic Energy and Mass The more mass an object has, the more kinetic energy it has For example, a rolling bowling ball will have a greater kinetic energy than a volleyball rolled at the same exact speed. That’s because the bowling ball has more mass than the volleyball. Lower mass Higher mass

Potential Energy Potential energy is the stored energy an object has because of its position For example, a roller coaster has a lot of potential energy when it reaches the top of the ride. That’s because of the position it’s in (high up, far away from ground level)

The higher up an object is, the more potential energy it has. Also, the more mass an object has, the more potential energy it has. For example, a huge truck at the top of a hill will have more potential energy than a bicycle on top of the hill. That’s because the truck has more mass than the bicycle.

Let’s see if you’ve understood the past couple of lessons! A soccer ball rolling across the field is an example of… Kinetic energy

A book sitting on top of a bookshelf is an example of… Potential energy

Which would have more kinetic energy? A football thrown at 5 miles per hour A football thrown at 25 miles per hour Answer: B

Pick the item that would have more kinetic and potential energy: A dictionary falling out of a third floor window An empty crayon box falling out of a third floor window Answer: A

When would our science text book have more potential energy? When it is on top of a table that is three feet high When it is on top of a bookshelf that is 8 feet high Answer: B

Bonus question: When will the potential energy of the football below change into kinetic energy? Answer: Once the football is thrown and starts moving.