Energy Stores and Transfers
An Introduction to Energy
Energy is a central concept in physics. It is something that:
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is conserved in a closed system
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cannot be created or destroyed
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is a quantity you can calculate
Energy Stores
Energy can be transferred from one store to another. The main stores are:
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Kinetic, Gravitational Potential, Elastic Potential, Chemical and Thermal
A few more Energy Stores
In addition to the five stores mentioned in the previous video, there are a further three:
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Magnetic, Electrostatic and Nuclear
Types of Energy Transfer
Think of HERM! There are four ways in which energy is transferred from one store to another:
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Heating
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Electrical
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Radiation (including sound, light and all electromagnetic waves)
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Mechanical
Dealing with Energy Stores and Transfers
When you describe the changes in energy stores for a scenario, you must break the problem down into three parts:
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Choose a clear start and end point
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Decide which energy stores are involved in the process
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Name the transfer processes that take place between the stores
Energy Stores and Transfers in LEGO
In this video I use the LEGO Haunted House to perform a practical demonstration to help explain the energy stores and transfers involved in a fairground ride going up to the top and back down again.
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