What is Thermal Energy?

The sun sends the earth 35,000 times the amount of energy required by all of us on the entire planet, every day. The fourth lesson in the 10-part series looks at how light energy from the sun transfers into thermal energy. Scholars build...

Oh nuts! Do macadamias or almonds produce more thermal energy? Energy enthusiasts find out with this experiment. The objective is to demonstrate to your class how the chemical energy contained in foods can be converted into useable...

Determining whether or not something is living can be more difficult than it seems. Put your young scientists to work defining their own criteria to identify life, then work with three samples to see if they are alive or not. 

Multiple examples of heat transfer through different materials are shown. The information will reinforce concepts of particle energy change and movement at a early, secondary level.  

Wow! Colorful and simple, these 160 slides introduce the various forms of energy, along with a relevant image. Some of the images are animations, which help beginning physical scientists to visualize the flow of electrons or energy! This...

Explore thermal energy with this short episode. Jiggling molecules and hand-drawn animation help to explain that just because something has a lot of thermal energy, it doesn't necessarily feel hot to the touch. This is an ideal addition...

What is thermal energy? What is the difference between thermal energy and temperature? Answers to these questions are provided by a presentation that also covers conduction, convection, and radiation.

Examine how heat can be transferred between systems by reconstructing a diagram on energy flow and solving problems on heat flow and work done.

Is the ice cooling down the water or is the water melting the ice? Here is a simulation that explores thermal energy transfer with iron, brick, and water. It demonstrates the flow of energy and what happens when each material is either...

What is energy, and why do we need so much of it? Scholars explore the definition of energy as it relates to both conversion and consumption with a video and discussion questions. Part of an energy unit from NOVA, the resource provides a...