Students research how water is used to generate electricity. They investigate water's potential-to-kinetic energy transfer in hands-on activities about falling water and waterwheels. They take measurements, calculate averages and graph...

What prevents a roller coaster from falling when it goes upside down? Scholars experiment with a roller coaster simulation controlling the mass of the coaster, the height of the hill, and the radius of the loop. They learn which factors...

Examine the behavior of energy as water freezes and melts. An engaging activity provides a hands-on experience to learners. Collaborative groups collect data and analyze the graphs of the temperature of water as it freezes and then...

Students create their own water wheel to show the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy. They discover the production of electricity through hydropower and apply it to different situations. They share any data collected with...

Students study the conservation of energy.  In this energy lesson students explain the differences between potential and kinetic energy.

Students explore the rebound of balls. In this energy conversion lesson, students explore the physics behind the rebound of various types of sports balls. Through the experimental design process using balloons, students investigate and...

Students discover the difference between kinetic and potential energy in an experiment using toy cars and tracks. In small groups, they set up the experiment to determine the distance milk cartons will travel when hit by toy car. They...

Students study kinetic and potential energy. In this energy lesson, students in grades K-2 understand the differences between kinetic and potential energy. Students in grades 3-5 demonstrate that kinetic and potential energy. Students in...

Learners participate in a culminating activity for a unit on Energy and Simple Machines. They are challenged to incorporate simple machines in to a complex mechanical system. While designing and testing their machine they will also...

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

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,...

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...

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...

Learners 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 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 graph to...

Learners 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. They...

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 word search puzzle, students identify types of energy and related terms. They identify 18 words from a given list. An answer sheet is provided.

In this spontaneous reactions worksheet, students 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 problems about...

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...

In this thermodynamics worksheet, students review kinetic and potential energy, enthalpy, entropy, and standard hear of formation. This worksheet has 1 short answer and 5 problem solving questions.