Grade by Grade
E. Earth and Space Systems · Conservation of Energy and Resources

Forms of Energy in Everyday Life

E2.1 A1.5About 40 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can explain what energy is.
  • I can name many forms of energy: motion, stored, chemical, thermal, electrical, light, sound and nuclear.
  • I can describe how each form of energy is used in everyday life.
  • I can use science words to tell someone what forms of energy I see.

Words to know

energy
The ability to make something move or change.
form of energy
One kind of energy, such as light, sound or heat.
kinetic energy
The energy of anything that is moving. Also called motion energy.
potential energy
Stored energy, waiting to be used.
chemical energy
Energy stored in food, fuels and batteries.
thermal energy
Heat energy. The hotter something is, the more thermal energy it has.
electrical energy
Energy carried by electricity through wires.
nuclear energy
Energy stored in the tiny centres of atoms. The Sun makes its light and heat this way.

A winter morning full of energy

It's a snowy January morning. Your alarm beeps. You switch on the light. The furnace hums and warms the house. You eat a bowl of oatmeal, then run for the school bus as it rumbles down the street.

In just ten minutes you used energy in at least six different forms! In this unit you will become an energy expert: what energy is, how it changes, where it comes from, and how we can use less of it.

A snow-covered house on a winter morning with warm lights glowing in the windows and steam rising from a roof vent.
On a winter morning a home uses energy in many forms: light from the lamps, thermal energy from the furnace, and electrical energy for the alarm clock. How many forms can you find? AI-generated image

Remember from Grade 1 and Grade 4

In Grade 1 you learned that energy is the ability to make something move or change, that the Sun is Earth's most important energy source, that food gives living things energy, and that people use energy from wind, moving water, fuels, batteries and electricity.

In Grade 4 you learned that light and sound are forms of energy, and that some light sources give off a lot of heat while others, like LEDs, give off very little.

In Grade 5 you will put all the forms of energy together and find out how energy changes from one form to another.

The forms of energy

Energy comes in different forms. Here are the main ones you will use in this unit.

  • Kinetic (motion) energy: the energy of anything that moves. A sliding hockey puck, a blowing wind, a flowing river and a running dog all have kinetic energy.
  • Potential (stored) energy: energy that is stored, waiting to be used. A sled at the top of a hill and a stretched elastic band have stored energy. You will learn much more about it next lesson.
  • Chemical energy: energy stored in food, fuels (like wood, gasoline and natural gas) and batteries. It is a kind of stored energy.
  • Thermal energy: heat. A mug of hot chocolate, a furnace and your own warm body all have thermal energy.
  • Electrical energy: energy carried by electricity through wires. It powers the fridge, the lights and the charger for your tablet.
  • Light energy: energy we can see. It comes from the Sun, lamps and screens. Plants use light energy to make their food.
  • Sound energy: energy made by vibrations. You hear it as music, voices, a doorbell or a fire alarm.
  • Nuclear energy: energy stored in the tiny centres of atoms. The Sun makes its light and heat from nuclear reactions deep inside it. Some power stations in Ontario use nuclear energy to make electricity.
Form of energyClueEveryday use
Kinetic (motion)Something is movingWind turns a wind turbine; you pedal a bike
Potential (stored)Something is high up, stretched or squishedA sled at the top of a hill is ready to go
ChemicalFood, fuel or a batteryBreakfast gives you energy; a battery runs a remote
Thermal (heat)Something is warm or hotA furnace heats your home in winter
ElectricalIt plugs in or uses electricityA fridge keeps food cold
LightYou can see it glowA lamp lets you read at night
SoundYou can hear itA smoke alarm warns you of danger
NuclearEnergy from inside atomsThe Sun's light and heat; some power stations
The forms of energy and how we use them.
☀️🔋🔊💡🔥🛷
Can you name a form of energy for each picture? Sun: light and heat. Battery: chemical. Speaker: sound. Light bulb: light. Fire: heat and light. Sled: motion (or stored energy at the top of a hill).

One thing, many forms

Most things use or give off more than one form of energy at the same time. A campfire gives off light, heat and sound (crackling!). A TV gives off light, sound and a little heat. When you list energy forms, look for all of them.

One campfire, many forms of energyChemical energy stored in the woodLight energyyou can see it glowSound energycrackle, pop!Thermal energywarm hands
Burning wood changes its chemical energy into light, heat (thermal energy) and sound, all at the same time.
Worked example

Let's spot the energy at a hockey game

Your family goes to a hockey game at the local arena. Find as many forms of energy as you can.

  1. Look for movement: the players skating and the puck sliding have kinetic energy.
  2. Listen: the crowd cheering, the horn and the puck hitting the boards give off sound energy.
  3. Look up: the bright arena lights give off light energy. They run on electrical energy.
  4. Think about the players: they got their energy from food, which stores chemical energy. Their bodies also give off thermal energy (they get hot and sweaty!).
  5. Think about the snack bar: the popcorn machine uses electrical energy to make thermal energy.

At least six forms: kinetic, sound, light, electrical, chemical and thermal energy.

Just for fun

Funny but true: a resting person gives off roughly as much heat as an old-style 100-watt light bulb. That's why a classroom full of students warms up, even with the heat turned down. You are a walking heater!

Hands-on activity

Energy hunt at home

You need: paper, a pencil and a ruler to make a table.

  1. Make a table with three columns: Thing, Form(s) of energy it uses, Form(s) of energy it gives off.
  2. Walk through your home with a grown-up. Find 10 things that use or give off energy. Try the kitchen, the laundry room, your bedroom and outside.
  3. Fill in your table. Example: toaster uses electrical, gives off thermal and a little light (the wires glow).
  4. Share your findings (A1.5): explain your table to someone in your family using the energy words from this lesson.

What to look for: at least six different forms of energy, and things that give off more than one form.

Safety: look, don't touch. Never touch outlets, plugs, a hot stove, an iron or a heater. Ask a grown-up about anything you aren't sure of.

Your turn

1

What is energy?

2

A hockey puck slides across the ice. What form of energy does it have?

3

What form of energy is stored in a granola bar?

4

A charger carries energy from the wall outlet to your tablet. What form of energy is that?

5

The Sun gives Earth two forms of energy that you can see and feel. What are they?

6

Give one everyday use of sound energy.

More practice: warm-up

1

Name the main form of energy: a ringing bell.

2

Name the main form of energy: a reading lamp that is on.

3

Name the main form of energy: a fast-flowing river.

4

Name the main form of energy: a new battery in its package.

5

Name the main form of energy: a hot bath.

More practice: on your own

1

A furnace burns natural gas to warm a house in January. Name two forms of energy in this example.

2

Why do you need to eat food before you run in gym class?

3

What form of energy does the wind have? How do people use it?

4

Name a kitchen appliance that uses electrical energy to make thermal energy.

5

Where does the Sun's light and heat come from?

Challenge

1

A toy robot dog walks, barks and has eyes that light up. List the forms of energy it gives off, and say where its energy comes from.

2

Maya says, "A book sitting on a high shelf has no energy because it isn't moving." Is she right? Explain.

3

Name three forms of energy in this scene: a skater gliding around an outdoor rink at night under lights, music playing.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Energy is...

2.

What form of energy is stored in food?

3.

A vibrating guitar string gives off mostly...

4.

Which of these uses electrical energy?

5.

The Sun makes its light and heat from...

6.

A rolling bowling ball has...

For parents and teachers

Big idea (E2.1): children identify a variety of forms of energy (kinetic/motion, potential/stored, chemical, thermal, electrical, light, sound, nuclear) and describe how each is used in everyday life. Communicating findings with science vocabulary is part of Strand A (A1.5).

How to help: play "energy I-spy" in the car, the kitchen or at the rink: "I spy something with sound energy." Ask "Where did that energy come from?" to prepare for the next lessons.

Common difficulties:

  • Thinking energy means only electricity. Electricity is one form among many.
  • Naming only one form. Most things give off several forms at once (a campfire: light, heat, sound).
  • Thinking still things have no energy. Objects that are high up, stretched, or full of chemical energy (food, fuel, batteries) have stored energy.

Safety: during the energy hunt, children should look, not touch: no outlets, plugs, stoves, irons or heaters.