Electric Energy Transfer and Conservation MST Inquiry Unit Dr. O’Connor-Petruso ED Net1 By: Jackie Holzer, Cassandra Caceres & Michael Koutros

At a glance... Lesson 1: What is energy? Investigate through a scavenger hunt Lesson 2: The Journey of Electricity Construct electrical circuits Lesson 3: Conductors vs. Insulator Classify the objects Lesson 4: Playing it safe! Make the safe choice game Lesson 5: Energy Smart :) Cost and safe practices Lesson 6: Life with Electric Energy Lights, Camera, Action!

Electric Energy Scavenger Hunt Questions: 1. Define energy 2. Define electricity 3. What are nonrenewable and renewable energy resources. Give an example of each 4. Name the most common form of nonrenewable energy used to generate electric 5. Identify 5 forms of energy 6. Name two types of energy and give an example of each 7. Potential Energy does not store energy. True or False? 8. How is energy changed from one form to another? List 3 items that use electricity and what kind of energy each converts to 9. How is electricity made? 10.How does electricity travel to our homes? External Links: =2 ds_text 1.html s/AllAboutElectricity/ electricity/index.html Filamentality Site: huntenergyaja.html

Journey of Electricity

Electrical Circuits: What’s the difference? Simple Circuits: Consist of 1 battery, 2 wires and 1 lightbulb in socket. Must be a closed circuit to flow. Series Circuits: Can light more than 1 lightbulb at the same time. Has a complete pathway with no alternative path. Must be a closed circuit to flow. If one lightbulb goes out the other will not light because the flow has stopped. Parallel Circuits: Can light more than 1 lightbulb at the same time. Has multiple complete pathways. If one pathway is open and a lightbulb goes out the electricity will flow on another pathway. Does not always have to be a closed circuit. Open Circuits: There is no complete pathway, electricity is not able to flow. Closed Circuits: Electric energy needs a closed path (no opening) to produce electricity.

Electrical Circuits Drag the images to the appropriate circuit Parallel Circuits Simple Circuits Series Circuits

Build & test your circuits! Simple, Series & Parallel circuits: Construct your own! QuestionsPredictionsResultsExplanation What happens to the light bulbs when all the wires are correctly connected in each circuit? What happens if a light bulb is removed from a series circuit? Will electricity still flow if there is an opening in the simple circuit? What happens if a light bulb is removed from a parallel circuit? Will the light bulbs still light if there is an opening in a series circuit? Can a series and parallel circuit light two bulbs at once? Which will burn brighter, the light bulbs in a series circuit or parallel circuit?

Conductors vs. Insulators Conductors: Materials that allow electric currents to pass freely through. Examples: Silver, Brass, Copper, Aluminum, Water, Graphite Insulators: Materials that do not allow electric currents to pass freely through them. Examples: Cotton, Wood, Glass, Rubber, Plastic

Conductors VS Insulator Chart MATERIALPREDICTIONRESULT Cotton ball Nickel Nail Q-tip Foil Insulator Conductor Insulator Conductor Insulator conductor Make a predication…are they conductors or insulators? Test and classify your object

Playing it Safe! Make the Safe Choice! The Dangers of Electricity *water and appliance safety In Case of Emergency *if shocks and fires occur Trees and Power Lines, *safe play practices Visit the site below and test your ability to handle electrical hazards in your home! ice/game.html

Energy Smart Important key points for you to remember... Set your home’s thermostat a few degrees lower. For each one-degree change, your family can save up to 5 percent on your home’s heating and cooling costs! Turn off lights and all electronics (like computers, televisions, stereos, and video-games) when you leave a room. Use the microwave instead of the oven for cooking your meals. Use machines like washers, dryers, and dishwashers after 8 p.m. Open your blinds or curtains on sunny winter days to let the sun shine into your home. Save hot water by taking short showers instead of baths. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth. Occasionally hold a ribbon up to the edges of your home’s windows. If air is leaking into, or out of, the house, the ribbon will move. If you find a leak, let someone in your family know so they can fix it.

Are we energy smart? Visit the Energy Star website: and explore the home Do you use the appliances presented in the model home? Graph it and discover how much energy you use everyday for a week Key for pictograph: Full object= 24 hours, Half object= 12 hours, Quarter object= 6 hours Not happy with results? Use the checklist to make your home energy smart

Conserve energy= save money Many of us use appliances in our everyday lives but are not aware how much electrical cost go into using those appliances. Let’s find out how much money it cost to use those appliances by visiting the Duke Energy Calculator: calculators.asphttp:// calculators.asp Here you are presented with various calculators dedicated to different appliances located in a household. One tip- enter a zipcode within the Duke area ( N.Carolina)

Life with Electric Energy Lights, Camera, Action! Filamentality Webiste Embark on a webquest and discover additional information on Electric energy. Watch the youtube clip on electricity: Can you create your own skit/play? Give it a try! Use the information discovered throughout your webquest and act it out...lights, camera, ACTION!

Lights out! By: Jackie Holzer, Cassandra Caceres & Michael Koutros