Chapter 5 Energy Flashcards
Elastic potential energy
Energy stored within a stretched or compressed object, like a spring or elastic material
Electrical energy
Energy that causes charged particles to move
Energy
The ability to make a change happen; different forms include heat light and energy and sound
Gravitational potentional energy
stored energy of an object that is held above the earths surface
Heat energy
A measure of the total kinetic energy possessed by particles in a substance.
Joule (J)
Unit of measurement for energy.
Kinetic energy
energy possessed by a moving object.
Light energy
Form of energy that is visible, such as that produced by the sun.
Nuclear energy
Energy stored inside an atom
Photosynthesis
The process I which plants take light energy and convert in to chemical potential energy.
Potential energy
Stored energy possessed by an object, such as elastic potential energy of a squashed spring.
Sound energy
Energy that travels as vibrating waves and can be heard by our ears as sound
Work
This is done whenever an object is moved or is forced to change shape.
Energy efficiency
The proportion of useful energy output from a device compared to the amount of energy that is input. This is usually expressed as a percentage.
Energy flow diagram
Diagram using arrows that shows the way energy is passed on or changed into other forms in a particular situation.
Energy transfer
The flow of energy from one object into another object, for example, the flow of heat from a metal spoon to your hand, or the kinetic energy from a bat to a ball.
Energy transformation
The conversion of one type of energy; for example the conversion of electrical energy from a MP3 player into sound light and heat energy.
Law of conservation of energy
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be transferred from one object to another or transformed into another form of energy.
Energy rating label
A label showing a number of stars (usually from 1-6) which can be used to compare the efficiency of different appliances.
Insulation
material added into ceilings and between walls of a house to reduce heat transfer.
Chemical energy
Energy stored within a substance such as fuel or food, that may be released when the substance is burnt or digested.
National house energy rating scheme
A scheme that uses computer simulations to provide a star rating (to a maximum of 10 stars) to houses based on the effectiveness of the external walls against heat loss.
Organic photovoltaics
A new generation of flexible and cheap solar cells made from carbon-based materials.
Regenerative brakes
Vehicle braking system that stores some of the kinetic energy of a car as it slows down and uses this energy to power the car.
