The
12 booklets in their entirety are intended
primarily for teachers rather than students
and the approach is a general one, appropriate
to all key stages. The animations, which
can be used directly by students, are
also suitable for a wide range of levels.
Health and
Safety
For practical activities, the Science
Enhancement Programme has tried to ensure
that the experiments are healthy and
safe to use in schools and colleges.
It is assumed that these experiments
will be undertaken in suitable laboratories
or work areas and that good laboratory
practices will be observed. Teachers
should consult their employers' risk
assessments for each practical before
use, and consider whether any modification
is necessary for the particular circumstances
of their own class/school. If necessary,
CLEAPSS members can obtain further advice
by contacting the help line on 01895
251496 or by emailing science@cleapss.org.uk.
Key
ideas
The resources focus on these key ideas
about energy:
| • |
 |
how
energy is stored |
| • |
|
how energy
is transferred |
| • |
|
conservation
of energy |
| • |
|
dissipation
of energy |
How
energy is stored
Although energy is always energy,
it can be stored in different ways:
| • |
|
thermal, as in a cup of tea |
| • |
|
kinetic, as
by a flywheel or a moving ball |
| • |
|
elastic, as
in a spring in tension |
| • |
|
gravitational,
as by a raised mass |
| • |
|
electrical,
as in a capacitor |
| • |
|
chemical,
as in a battery |
How
energy is transferred
Energy can move from one store
to another and to dissipation in various
different ways, such as:
| • |
|
by
heating (transfer from a hotter
to a cooler body) |
| • |
|
mechanically
(through gears, for example) |
| • |
|
electrically
(as within a circuit) |
| • |
|
by radiation
(from a lamp, for example) |
However, classifying energy transfer
processes is not as straightforward
as classifying types of energy store.
Many processes are ambiguous.
Conservation
and dissipation of energy
These resources begin by looking at
one particular kind of energy change
– the flow of energy due to a
temperature difference. By talking about
energy in this context as though it
was fluid-like, ideas of conservation
and dissipation are a natural part of
the way that energy is described. (It
is important, however, that students
are not led to believe that energy is
a substance.
There is no flow of ‘stuff’.)
Once the ideas about energy are developed
in this context, then they are extended
to changes involving other kinds of
store and other ways of transferring
energy. |
