An introduction to energy for a freshman physics classroom. The focus is on energy 'storage,' rather than energy 'types.'

1. Daily objectivesWarm up
On a whiteboard, write the period number
and the names of all the people at your
table.
Write your group member’s names on
your warmup sheet.
Get ready to take notes: Clean sheet of
paper and a pen/pencil.
I can compare and
contrast money and
energy.
I can identify energy
storage methods.
January 6th, 2020

2. What is money???
With your group, develop a definition of
money.
•Use at least two complete sentences.
•Word your definition so someone from a
culture that doesn’t have money could
understand it.

3. Operational definitions
In many cases, it is hard to write a definition that does not
use words that aren’t clear to someone who isn’t familiar
with the word.
•“Money is currency.” But what is currency???
•“Money is cash.” But what is cash???
In these cases, operational definitions may be more useful.

4. An operational definition describes what you can do if you
have the property you are trying to define.

5. What is money???
Revise your definition into an operational
definition.
•Use at least three complete sentences.
•Word your definition so someone from a
culture that doesn’t have money could
understand it.

6. What is energy ???
With your group, develop a definition of
energy.
•Use at least two complete sentences.
•Include an operational definition, for
example:
•“An object has energy if…”

7. An operational definition of energy:
A system can store energy in two primary ways:
 In motion of the system
 In fields between two systems
Energy is stored in a system if that
system can affect a change in another
system.

8. Brief visit to the term
“system”
oWhen we drew force diagrams, the ‘dot’ represented an
object, or a system of objects.
oIn physics, a system is a collection of objects that we examine
as a unit.
oAs we discuss energy, we will refer to energy stored in systems.

9. Energystoredin
motion
Kinetic energy: When a system is moving
relative to another system.
Thermal energy: Motion/vibration of molecules
and atoms within a system.

10. Energystoredin
fields
•Gravitational energy: When a system is
gravitational attracted to another system and there is
a distance between them (meaning it can fall).
•Elastic/spring energy: A system that has been bent/
compressed/ stretched and will return to its original
shape if released.

11. Energystoredin
fields
•Chemical energy: A system of atoms/molecules that
can be rearranged into other atoms/molecules.
•Nuclear energy: A system of protons and neutrons (a
nucleus) that can be rearranged to form other nuclei.

12. Watch the following video of a ball bouncing and describe the
energy storage transformations.

13. Homework
Turn in todayExit ticket
Tomorrow we will conduct an
experiment with a bouncing ball.
How is the storage of energy
changed as a ball approaches the
ground then bounces back up?
 Start a new binder for this semester.
 Binder check on Wednesday.
 Make sure I took a
picture of your
whiteboard with your
notes and your group
members’ names on it.