Name ___________________________ Class ________ Date ___________

TEKS 11A Understand energy and its forms, including kinetic, potential, chemical,
and thermal energies.
TEKS Lesson 11A: Forms of Energy
What is energy?
The capacity to do work or to produce heat is called energy. Unlike matter, energy has neither mass nor
volume. Energy is detected only because of its effects. For example, a car moves because of the energy
supplied by the fuel.
Units of Energy The S unit of energy is the joule (J), named after the English physicist !ames
"rescott !oule #$%$%&$%%'(. ) common non*S unit of energy is the calorie. +ne calorie (cal) is the
,uantity of heat that raises the temperature of $ g of pure water by $-.. .onversions between /oules and
calories can be carried out using the following relationships0
$ ! 1 2.34'2 cal $ cal 1 5.$%5 !
The word calorie is written with a small c except when referring to the energy contained in food. The
dietary .alorie, written with a capital C, always refers to the energy in food. +ne dietary .alorie is e,ual
to one kilocalorie, or $222 calories.
$ .alorie 1 $ kilocalorie 1 $222 calories
Kinetic Energy +b/ects, whether they are baseballs or molecules, can possess kinetic energy. The
energy an ob/ect has because of its motion is called kinetic energy. The word kinetic comes from the
6reek word kinetos, meaning 7moving.8 The kinetic energy of any moving ob/ect depends on its mass
and speed. To calculate the kinetic energy of an ob/ect in /oules, multiply

1
2
by the ob/ect9s mass #m( in
kilograms and the s,uare of its speed #v( in meters per second.

=
1
2

2
=
1
2

2
:otice that doubling the mass in the formula above would double the kinetic energy. ;owever, doubling
the speed would ,uadruple the kinetic energy, since kinetic energy is proportional to the s,uare of an
ob/ect9s speed. )toms and molecules have mass and are in motion. They therefore possess kinetic energy.
Potential Energy Energy that is stored as a result of position or shape is called potential energy. )
musician can add energy to a violin string by plucking it. The energy is stored in the stretched string when
the musician pulls it to one side. This type of potential energy is called elastic potential energy. <hen the
musician releases the string and allows it to vibrate, the stored energy is converted into kinetic energy.
=ou can also store energy /ust by picking up a book and holding it in the air. This type of potential energy
is called gravitational potential energy and is given by the following e,uation0
gravitational potential energy 1 weight height
"E 1 mgh
1
TEKS
Chemistry
Lesson 11A
Name ___________________________ Class ________ Date ___________
where m is the mass of the ob/ect, h is the height of the ob/ect, and g is the
gravitational constant, '.% m>s
3
. "otential energy can be converted into kinetic energy.
f you let go of the book, that stored energy will turn into the kinetic energy of motion
as the book falls to the floor.
Chemical Energy Every substance has a certain amount of energy stored inside it.
The potential energy stored in the chemical bonds of a substance is called chemical energy.
The kinds of atoms and the arrangement of the atoms in a substance determine the amount of energy
stored in the substance. ?uring a chemical reaction, a substance is transformed into another substance
with a different amount of chemical energy. <hen you buy gasoline, you are actually buying the stored
chemical energy it contains. The controlled explosions of the gasoline in a car9s engine transform the
potential energy into useful work, which is used to propel the car.
Thermal Energy )ll matter consists of tiny particles that are in constant motion, and thus have kinetic
energy. The total potential and kinetic energy of all the microscopic particles in an ob/ect make up its
thermal energy. <hen the atoms of an ob/ect move faster, the thermal energy of the ob/ect increases and
the ob/ect becomes warmer.
2
TEKS
Chemistry
Lesson 11A
Name ___________________________ Class ________ Date ___________
Lesson Chec
1! Un"erstan" Energy an" #ts Forms Demonstrate that you understand the forms of energy by
describing how the kinetic energy of an object is determined.
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2! Calc$late How many joules of potential energy does a 1-kg book gain when it is eleated ! m"
#hen it is eleated $ m"
%! Un"erstan" Energy an" #ts Forms %ill in the blank to show that you understand the forms of
energy& When you heat a pot of water over a flame, ____________ energy is added to the water.
&! Un"erstan" Energy an" #ts Forms Choose the correct answer to show that you understand the
forms of energy& #hat kind of energy is represented by a bow string that has been stretched by an
archer"
A chemical energy ' kinetic energy
C potential energy C thermal energy
(! #nfer 'he label on a bo( of cereal indicates that 1 cup of the cereal contains 1)) Calories. #hat
does this mean"
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%
TEKS
Chemistry
Lesson 11A
Name ___________________________ Class ________ Date ___________
*! Un"erstan" Energy an" #ts Forms *how that you understand the forms of
energy by e(plaining how a car uses chemical energy.
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&
TEKS
Chemistry
Lesson 11A