Energy Conservation – Transferring Kinetic Energy to Thermal Energy

Introduction:

The law of conservation of energy states that the total energy of an isolated system remains the same. Over time, all energy is conserved. Energy is neither created nor destroyed – instead it transfers from one form to another. Objects in motion have kinetic energy. Thermal energy is energy in a system due to its temperature.

Objective:
In this experiment, students will:

1. Observe how kinetic energy transfers to thermal energy.
2. Use evidence collected during the lab to better understand the law of conservation of energy.
3. Trace the thermal energy in the sand to energy from sunlight.