Energy

Question 1

Kinetic energy

Answer 1

energy due to the motion of an object

Question 2

Potential energy

Answer 2

energy that has the potential to do work and so the energy is ‘stored’, such as gravitational energy, elastic energy and chemical energy

Question 3

Electrical Energy

Answer 3

energy supplied to homes by powerlines and available to your appliances via power outlets in the home

Question 4

Nuclear energy

Answer 4

energy stored in the nucleus of atoms that can release energy slowly, such as in a nuclear reactor, or quickly, such as in a nuclear explosion

Question 5

Chemical energy

Answer 5

energy stored in chemicals that, when reacted together such as in burning reactions, release heat, sound or light

Question 6

Heat

Answer 6

energy that causes objects to gain temperature

Question 7

Sound

Answer 7

energy carried by the air in a room and detected by the ear

Question 8

Light

Answer 8

energy that may be released, for example, when an object is hot or by a nuclear reaction in a star

Question 9

Gravitational energy

Answer 9

the potential energy of an object elevated above the ground

Question 10

Elastic energy

Answer 10

energy stored by an elastic object that is stretched, such as a spring or rubber band

Question 11

conduction

Answer 11

transfer of heat through collisions between particles

Question 12

insulators

Answer 12

a material that is a poor conductor of heat

Question 13

convection

Answer 13

transfer of heat through the flow of particles

Question 14

radiation

Answer 14

a method of heat transfer that does not require particles to transfer heat from one place to another

Question 15

radiant heat

Answer 15

heat transferred by radiation, as from the sun to the Earth

Question 16

reflected

Answer 16

bounced off

Question 17

transmitted

Answer 17

passed through something, such as light or sound passing through the air

Question 18

absorbed

Answer 18

taken in

Question 19

Mechanical energy

Answer 19

energy associated with the movement and position of things

Question 20

Law of Conservation of Energy

Answer 20

a law that states that energy cannot be made or lost. However, energy can be transformed from one type to another or transferred from one object to another.

Question 21

efficiency

Answer 21

the fraction of energy supplied to a device as useful energy. It is usually expressed as a percentage.

Question 22

Density

Answer 22

The way to see how hard something is.

Question 23

Thermal energy

Answer 23

Energy that has heat is inside of a thing

Question 24

deciduous

Answer 24

describes plants that lose their leaves during autumn and winter

Question 25

luminous

Answer 25

something that is releasing its own light

Question 26

incandescent

Answer 26

describes objects that emit light when they are hot

Question 27

bioluminescent

Answer 27

describes living things that release light energy

Question 28

non-luminous

Answer 28

describes objects that do not emit their own light, but can be seen by reflected light

Question 29

scattered

Answer 29

describes light sent in many directions by small particles within a substance

Question 30

visible spectrum

Answer 30

different colours that combine to make up white light; they are separated into rainbows

Question 31

dispersion

Answer 31

separation of the colours that make up white light. Each colour is bent differently when it enters or leaves a glass prism.

Question 32

electromagnetic radiation

Answer 32

the radiant energy such as radio waves, infrared, visible light, X-rays and gamma rays released by magnetic or electric fields

Question 33

electromagnetic spectrum

Answer 33

complete range of wavelengths of energy radiated as electric and magnetic fields

Question 34

radio waves

Answer 34

low energy electromagnetic waves with a much lower frequency and longer wavelength than visible light

Question 35

infra-red radiation

Answer 35

low energy electromagnetic waves with a much lower frequency and longer wavelength than visible light

Question 36

ultraviolet radiation

Answer 36

invisible radiation similar to light but with a slightly higher frequency and more energy

Question 37

X-rays

Answer 37

high energy electromagnetic waves that can be transmitted through solids and provide information about their structure

Question 38

gamma rays

Answer 38

high energy electromagnetic radiation produced during the nuclear reaction

Question 39

vibrations

Answer 39

repeated fast, back-and-forth movements

Question 40

compression

Answer 40

the process of pushing a material into itself

Question 41

rarefactions

Answer 41

In sound waves, the layers of air particles that are spread apart (between compressions).

Question 42

sound waves

Answer 42

vibrations of particles in the air

Question 43

frequency

Answer 43

number of vibrations in one second, or the number of wavelengths passing in one second

Question 44

hertz

Answer 44

unit of frequency; its abbreviation is Hz. One hertz is equal to one vibration every second.

Question 45

pitch

Answer 45

the highness or lowness of a sound. The pitch that you hear depends on the frequency of the vibrating air.

Question 46

wavelength

Answer 46

a distance between two neighbouring crests or troughs of a wave. This is the distance between two particles vibrating instep.

Question 47

amplitude

Answer 47

the maximum distance that a particle moves away from its undisturbed position

Question 48

reverberation

Answer 48

the longer-lasting sound caused by repeated reflection from hard surfaces