G I M N A Z I J A M O S T E L J U B L J A N A ,

S L O V E N I A

CONTENTS

1. TOPICS FROM CURRICULUM: KINETICAL, POTENTIAL AND ELASTIC ENERGY

1. LESSON

AGE OF STUDENTS: 13

KEY COMPETENCES: (WRITTEN IN LESSON PLAN)

WAYS TO INTEGRATE SEN STUDENTS: A SEN STUDENT DOES RESEARCH IN PAIR WITH A STUDENT WITHOUT SPECIAL NEEDS. THEY SHARE WORK ACCORDING TO THE ABILITIES OF SEN STUDENT

CROSS-CURRICULAR CONNECTION: PHYSICS, BIOLOGY, ECOLOGY, IT

GUIDING QUESTIONS

What is energy?

Which quantities do potential, kinetic, and elastic energy

depend on?

Cases of energy transformations.

What are man’s daily needs of energy?

In what ways is energy used wastefully?

INTRODUCTION:

INTRODUCING THE LESSON, FORMING GROUPS

The origin of the word energy and its use in everyday

communication:

gr. ενεργεια: energeia – activity, gr. ενεργόϛ: energos –

active

discussion based on guiding questions:

examples of everyday use,

the meaning of the word energy in everyday language.

ENERGY IN PHYSICS

Different forms of energy

Limitation: energy is the ability of bodies that

do work.

Mill on the Mura river: energy of motion =

kinetic energy, water runs a millstone, which

does work (picture of the Babič mill on the

Mura river).

Group 1 (WS 1)

The dependence of potential energy of height and mass

Tools: different weights, nails, styrofoam, tubes of different

heights, measuring tape, spirit level, scales

Description of the experiment: If the weight is dropped on the nail,

the nail is driven in the styrofoam. The weight releases work,

equal to the change of potential energy, to the nail. To prevent

the sliding of the weight from the nail, we drop it through a tube.

Two tubes are available. The lengths of the tubes are such that

the weight falls through the shorter tube half as deep as

through the longer one, assuming that the height of the head of

the nail is ___ cm above the styrofoam and that the bottom of

the weight is aligned to the top edge of the tube.

Task: Find the weight which, when dropped from twice the height,

causes the same effect (draft of the nail) as the weight dropped

through the shorter tube.

Write down the conclusions.

Group 2 (WS 2)

Build a track for a skater

Tools: desktop computer and java applet (http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/energy-skate-park)

Run applet and get acquainted with it.

Build a track which a skater has to drive on, so that energy transformations of his potential and kinetic energy match those in the picture.

Compare the graph of potential energy (the blue line) with thecourse of the track. What would graph of potential energy be like if one planned a track with the same shape as the graph of potential energy in the picture?

Group 3 (WS 3)

Daily energy requirements of an adult person and a desktop computer

Tools: desktop computer connected to the web

Find out how many joules of energy an adult consumes with food daily.

Compute how much electrical energy a desktop computer that uses 300W of power consumes daily. The computer is running for three hours on average. If you are not familiar with the definition of power, find it on the web.

Compare the data and write the conclusion.

Group 4 (WS 4)

Examples of a wasteful use of energy

Tools: desktop computer connected to the web

How are appliances that use energy efficiently labelled?

Find examples of a wasteful use of energy.

Choose three examples among those you have found and

find illustrative figures on the web.

Groups report and write the conclusion.

Resources

Resources needed are listed on the worksheets below.

Evaluation

Contents (what)The findings of the four groups

Tool (how)Groups give a short report in front

of the class

Enclosure

Worksheets 1,2,3,4