Fifth graders investigate situations that show how kinetic and potential energy are exchanged. They determine how friction is a source of energy transfer from kinetic to thermal energy by experimenting with a car and track. They answer...

Students explore Earth science by completing energy worksheets in class. In this energy forms instructional activity, students identify and define a list of energy vocabulary terms and a K-W-L chart. Students view a matter video clip in...

Entropy, it isn't what it used to be. Presentation includes kinetic-molecular theory, heat and internal energy, thermal equilibrium, temperature scales, laws of thermodynamics, entropy, latent heat of fusion, specific heat, calorimetry,...

Does it feel a little humid in here? Learners assume the role of water vapor in the atmosphere as they explore the differences between warm and cold air. They roll dice to determine their level of energy, which determines if they...

Teams design and build a windmill, under budget, that can lift an object. The groups evaluate and reflect on their own design, then on those produced by other teams. The goal is to determine which design is the most...

How would a pendulum work on the moon or Jupiter? To answer that question scholars control up to two pendulums including their location, length, mass, and amplitude. Added controls include changing the friction and strength of gravity....

Space scientists use water displacement to determine the mass of a cubic centimeter mini meteorite, and then use it as a small-scale representative of an asteroid. They figure out the orbital velocity of an asteroid. Then they use a...

How does heat move from one item to another, even when the items are in different states of matter? Pupils experiment with adding washers to hot water and adding hot washers to room temperature water to observe the heat transfer. 

Have you ever stretched out a Slinkie so much it wouldn't go back to its original shape? Slinkies, like all springs, follow Hooke's Law. A simulation uses springs and masses to demonstrate kinetic, potential, and thermal energy. It...

Explanations for six different physics lab activities and five suggested assessments are contained in this resource by the National Science Teachers Association. Any combination can be used to open learners' eyes to rotational motion....

Pupils explore the states of matter. They discuss the different phrases of matter and categorize everyday substances as solids, liquids, or gases. Students explore the relationship between the phases on an atomic level and the role of...

Students investigate the history of the waterwheel and common uses for water turbines today. They construct an experimental waterwheel using a two-liter plastic bottle, measure the rate of revolution of a waterwheel, and complete a...

Learners examine molecules and the changes in energy of a system.  For this energy systems lesson students complete a lab activity and describe changes of state.

Middle schoolers explain necessity in using accurate instruments when measuring, and how measurements can be checked for accuracy. They make a six-inch ruler, design, test, and evaluate a system to measure work, and produce a table and...

High schoolers conduct an experiment mimicking a hardness test. They determine the hardness of chocolate bars. Students examine indentations to determine the hardness of chocolate bar and infer reasons for the differences in hardness....

In this chemistry activity, students determine the number of water molecules is a given volume of water. Students determine the empirical formula for given compounds from the percentage mass of elements. This activity has 20 problems to...

Students define potential and kinetic energy and explain the relationship of height to potential energy.  In this roller coaster lesson students construct a model of a roller coaster which will allow them to see the basic physical...

In this transition state theory worksheet, students read about chemical reactions and the theory for how chemical reactions proceed. They answer questions about the activated complex, the activation energy and the collision theory all...

In this energy instructional activity, students complete a crossword puzzle by determining the terms associated with the 20 given clues. Students review alternative forms of energy in this instructional activity.

In this spontaneous reactions learning exercise, high schoolers read about entropy, enthalpy and Gibbs free energy. They complete a table with reaction conditions and determine if the reaction is spontaneous or not. They solve three...

In this temperature worksheet, students answer 8 questions about temperature and thermal energy. For example, "What term refers to an energy transfer that causes a change in temperature?"

Students examine the relationship between energy and the environment. In groups, they participate in experiments to discover the law of thermodynamics and the differences between potential, kinetic and mechanical forms of energy. They...

In this electricity worksheet, students learn about magnetic induction plus compare a generator with a motor. Students also review the different kinds of energy and the formulas associated with energy. This worksheet has 28 matching, 10...

Students identify the different sources of fossil fuels. For this environmental science lesson, students research about how these impact our environment. They explore renewable energy sources that could replace fossil fuels.