Transforming and Converting
Energy
Energy Transformation
 When energy is changed from one form of energy to
another
 Use them in our daily lives
 Examples:
 When you toast bread, the toaster transforms (changes)
electrical energy into heat energy
 Electrical energy from a doorbell becomes sound energy
 Chemical energy from a battery in a flashlight becomes
light energy
Not Lost, Transformed
 Can change into different forms but it can never be lost
or destroyed
 Car burns gas, the chemical energy of the gas transforms
into heat energy and then into mechanical energy when
the car moves
 Heat energy is not helpful in making the car move, but
none of the energy is lost or destroyed
 It just changes into other forms
Activity
 We have learned about many forms of energy: heat,
light, sound, electrical, mechanical and chemical
 What are some examples of each form?
Activity
 What form of energy is needed to make the LCD
projector work?
 Input- form of energy used to make an object/thing work
(e.g., projector)
 Output: form(s) of energy observed (that we see)
 What forms of energy can you see when the projector is
plugged into an electrical outlet and turned on?
Activity
 The energy in the projector is stored and transformed in
the following way:
 Electricity is transferred from the outlet to the projector
 This energy is then changed into light energy
 The light energy is the output
 If you place your hand near the bulb of the projector you
can feel the heat energy
Changing Energy
Device
LCD Projector
Input
electrical energy
Output
Light and heat
energy
Energy Transformation
 We have viewed how energy can be transformed from one form
to another
 Other Examples:
 Radio using batteries: Chemical energy from battery is changed
into electrical charge which is changed to sound energy
 Electric fan: electrical energy is changed to mechanical energy to
make the fan turn/move
 Humans: chemical energy from food is changed to muscular
energy
 Use the following examples and add them to the chart from the
previous slide
Device
Input
Output
radio
Electric fan
humans
“Lost”
 Energy that apparently is “lost” is actually transformed
as the examples we did in class showed us
 The “lost” energy from a system (e.g., fan, LCD project)
is actually transformed into one or more other energy
forms that are not usefully to the system
 Example: heat from projector’s bulb doesn’t make it any
brighter or help us see better
Your Turn
 Look around our class for devices or think about devices
you use at home
 Identify how these devices change energy from one form
into another form
 Use the chart we used in class today
 Some ideas are: car, lamp, doorbell, computer, hairdryer,
lawn mower, remote control car, etc.