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Energy stores

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Lesson notes

Energy Stores Overview

  • Energy is not a physical thing we can see or touch.
  • Different objects store energy in different energy stores.
  • There are eight main energy stores: thermal, kinetic, gravitational potential, elastic potential, chemical, nuclear, magnetic potential, and electrostatic potential.

Thermal Energy Store

  • Any object with a temperature has a thermal energy store.
  • The higher the temperature, the more energy in the thermal store.
  • Examples: hot cup of tea, hot bath water, hot radiator.

Kinetic Energy Store

  • Any moving object has a kinetic energy store.
  • The faster the movement, the more energy in the kinetic store.
  • Examples: moving car, train, person walking or running.

Gravitational Potential Energy Store

  • Objects at a height above the ground have gravitational potential energy.
  • The larger the height, the more energy in this store.
  • Examples: book on a high shelf, bird on a high branch.

Elastic Potential Energy Store

  • Objects like springs or elastic bands stretched or compressed store elastic potential energy.
  • The greater the extension or compression, the larger the energy store.
  • Examples: stretched elastic band, spring, hair tie.

Chemical Energy Store

  • Different chemicals store energy in their chemical energy store.
  • Examples: food, fuel, batteries.

Nuclear Energy Store

  • Energy stored in the nucleus of an atom is in the nuclear energy store.
  • Examples: uranium or plutonium fuel in nuclear power plants.

Magnetic and Electrostatic Potential Energy Stores

  • Magnetic potential: two magnets held close together store energy.
  • Electrostatic potential: charges close together (e.g., protons, electrons) store energy.

Eight energy stores

Slides

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Practice questions

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  1. 1.A helicopter is stationary and hovering above the ground. Which energy store does the helicopter have?

    Easy
    • AGravitational potential
    • BKinetic
    • CElastic potential
    • DNuclear
  2. 2.A helicopter starts to move forwards. Which additional energy store does it now have?

    Easy
    • AKinetic
    • BThermal
    • CChemical
    • DMagnetic potential
  3. 3.While flying, the engine of a helicopter becomes warm. Which energy store has increased in the engine?

    Easy
    • AThermal
    • BKinetic
    • CChemical
    • DNuclear
  4. 4.A helicopter uses kerosene fuel. Which energy store does kerosene have?

    Easy
    • AChemical
    • BKinetic
    • CThermal
    • DNuclear
  5. 5.A person bungee jumping falls from a bridge. What happens to their gravitational potential energy store as they fall?

    Easy
    • AIt decreases
    • BIt increases
    • CIt stays the same
    • DIt is converted to elastic potential only
  6. 6.As a bungee jumper falls, they accelerate and get faster. What happens to their kinetic energy store?

    Easy
    • AIt increases
    • BIt decreases
    • CIt stays the same
    • DIt is converted to gravitational potential
  7. 7.At the bottom of a bungee jump, the bungee cord stretches. What happens to its elastic potential energy store?

    Easy
    • AIt increases
    • BIt decreases
    • CIt stays the same
    • DIt is converted to kinetic
  8. 8.A remote-controlled car has a battery that powers it. Which energy store does the battery have?

    Easy
    • AChemical
    • BKinetic
    • CThermal
    • DNuclear

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