Physics GCSE Energy – Energy Transformations
The conservation of energy
“Energy can’t be created or destroyed but only changed from one form into another.”
Explain the energy changes for the following situations:
Example question explained
A stone falling off a cliff
GPE = gravitational potential energy (energy because of an object’s height/position)
KE = kinetic energy (movement energy)
Note: the stone is high up so it has GPE, it falls so it is moving (KE), then hits the floor/ground which you can hear and heat will be lost to the surroundings.
Question 1 explained
A light bulb being turned on
Note: Light bulbs get hot as a lot of energy is lost as heat
Question 2 explained
An electric car moving
Note: batteries (cells) are a store of chemical energy which is converted into electricity in the wires of the device.
Question 3 explained
Switching on a battery-operated fan
Note: Light bulbs get hot as a lot of energy is lost as heat