1. Intro to Energy
8th Grade Science

2. Energy Resources The nature of energy Energy resources Fossil fuels
Contents
Energy Resources
The nature of energy
Energy resources
Fossil fuels
Summary activities

3. What is energy?
Energy is the ability to do work. It can not be created nor destroyed just transferred from one form to another.

4. Different types of energy
There are many different types of energy:
thermal
light
sound
elastic
gravitational
kinetic
electrical
chemical
nuclear
Can you think of examples of each
type of energy?

5. Which type of energy?

6. Energy transfer Energy can be changed from one form to another.
For example:
Chemical energy in food is converted to thermal energy
and kinetic energy by our bodies.
Gravitational energy in a ball is converted to kinetic energy when it falls to the ground.
What other energy transfers can you think of?

7. What is the energy transfer?
What energy transfer takes place in each device?
burning match
portable torch
microphone
radio
television
catapult
mobile phone
car
chemical to heat and light
sound to electrical
electrical to sound and heat
electrical to sound and light and heat
elastic to kinetic and heat
chemical to sound and microwaves
(EM radiation) and heat
chemical to kinetic and sound and heat
In all these transfers the energy is not lost, it is conserved.
Energy cannot be destroyed or created.

8. 7I Energy Resources The nature of energy Energy resources Fossil fuels
Contents
7I Energy Resources
The nature of energy
Energy resources
Fossil fuels
Summary activities

9. Using energy
Humans use chemical energy (from food) to live and function. However, in a modern society we also use large amounts of energy from other sources.
Can you think of some activities requiring energy?
travelling and communicating over long distances;
controlling our environment, e.g. air conditioning/heating;
manufacturing and building many kinds of materials and products, e.g. roads, cars, buildings, prepared food.
Where does the energy for these type of activities come from?

10. Energy resources in North Carolina
Energy resources can be divided into two types:
renewable (e.g. hydroelectric);
non-renewable (e.g. coal, oil, nuclear and natural gas).
Data based on the consumption of primary fuels in the UK in 2003 from the dti Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2004.
Web reference:
referrer=/yourenv/eff/resources_waste/energy/

11. Energy resources in the UK
Compare the data between the two areas.
Why might they differ?
Record ideas in notebook.
Data based on the consumption of primary fuels in the UK in 2003 from the dti Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2004.
Web reference:
referrer=/yourenv/eff/resources_waste/energy/

12. Non-renewable energy resources
Oil, coal and natural gas are examples of fossil fuels. They were formed from biological deposits over the course of millions of years.
oil
coal
natural gas
There is a finite amount of fossil fuels on the Earth and they will eventually run out.
Once fossil fuels are used they cannot be regenerated and used again, so they are called non-renewable.

13. Renewable energy sources
Renewable energy resources will not run out because they can easily be regenerated.
Examples of renewable energy resources are:
wind power
solar power
tidal power
biomass
Only 2% of our state’s energy comes from renewable sources.
Can you think of a reason why?

14. Renewable or non-renewable?

15. Energy and the Sun The Sun The Sun is the original source
of most energy resources.
Plants store the Sun’s energy
through photosynthesis.
Animals then eat the plants.

16. Energy resources from the Sun
oil
waves
coal
The Sun is
the original source
of most energy
resources.
biomass
wind
food
natural gas

17. 7I Energy Resources The nature of energy Energy resources Fossil fuels
Contents
7I Energy Resources
The nature of energy
Energy resources
Fossil fuels
Summary activities

18. Fossil fuels

19. How coal was formed
About 300 million years ago, trees and other plants photosynthesized and stored the Sun’s energy.
Dead plants fell into swampy water and the mud prevented them from rotting away.
Over the years, the mud piled up and squashed the plant remains.
After millions of years under this pressure, the mud became rock and the dead plants became coal.

20. Coal formation

21. How oil and gas were formed
Oil and gas are also biological in origin. Millions of years ago tiny animals lived in the sea. Like today, their ecosystem was dependent on heat and light from the Sun and photosynthesis by plants. When they died they fell into mud and sand at the bottom of the sea but did not rot away.
Over millions of years, they got buried deeper by the mud and sand. The temperature and pressure (caused by the weight of the sediments and deep burial) changed the mud and sand into rock and the dead animals into crude oil and natural gas.
This sample of crude oil was formed in Europe. Crude oil formed in other parts of the world can be very different in appearance and viscosity.

22. Oil and gas formation

23. 7I Energy Resources The nature of energy Energy resources Fossil fuels
Contents
7I Energy Resources
The nature of energy
Energy resources
Fossil fuels
Summary activities

24. Glossary
energy – The ability to do work – it exists in different forms such as chemical, electrical, heat and light.
energy transfer – Changing energy from one form to another.
energy resource – A substance that is a source of energy.
fuel – A substance that releases energy when it burns.
fossil fuel – A fuel that is formed from the remains of dead plants and animals, such as coal, oil and natural gas.
non-renewable – An energy resource that cannot be replaced and will eventually run out.
renewable – An energy resource that can be replaced and will not run out.

25. Anagrams

26. Multiple-choice quiz