Which of the following occurs to the majority of the chemical energy stored in the apple when another organism eats it?

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DEFINITION OF ENERGY TRANSFER

Energy is the ability to do work, or in more simple terms: energy makes things happen. You use energy to ride your bike, play video games, bake cookies, and drive to school. Energy is exciting! Energy can be transferred from one object to another, and energy can be transferred into different forms, such as light, sound, and heat.

To better under how energy transfer works…

LET’S BREAK IT DOWN!

What is energy?

Energy is the ability to do work. There are many different kinds of energy, such as light, sound, and heat.
We need energy for our homes to power lights, refrigerators, air conditioners, and computers. We use energy when we drive cars or pedal a bike. We power our devices with energy stored in batteries. Even sleeping requires energy!

Energy moves and changes form.

Energy transfer takes place when energy moves from one place to another. Energy can move from one object to another, like when the energy from your moving foot is transferred to a soccer ball, or energy can change from one form to another.

When energy in a battery is used to power an electronic device, chemical energy is transformed into electrical energy, which moves along wires.

Three more ways energy can be transferred are through light, sound, and heat.

Energy can be transferred as light.

Light energy is the only form of energy we can see. Light from the sun helps plants grow and makes food for us to enjoy. The sun’s energy also powers solar cells, which can be used to create electricity.
Light bulbs can also transfer energy, just like in the video when the light bulb’s energy powered the singing fish. The light energy moves through space until it encounters a solar cell. The solar cell converts it to electrical energy, which powers the singing fish.

Energy can be transferred as sound.

Have you ever felt sound? Loud concerts or even marching bands can sometimes produce enough energy that you can feel the vibrations in your body.
Sound energy is transferred when a sound wave travels from its source, like a drum, to another object. If the sound is loud enough, the waves will create very intense vibrations that you can feel in your chest.

Energy can be transferred as heat.

When you sit by a campfire, you can feel the heat warm your body. The heat from the burning wood is transferred to your marshmallow, causing it to get soft and gooey. Perfect for your s’mores!
Heat can move from warm objects to cool objects, just like in the video when the heat from the wires made the paper ignite.

ENERGY TRANSFER EXAMPLES

Humans and other animals use sound energy to communicate. When you speak, you create sound waves that travel through the air. When the sound wave reaches the ears of someone nearby, their brain is able to translate the sound waves into words.

The sun is not the only source of light. Light bulbs and candles also produce light, and so do some living things such as fireflies. Light energy powers most things in nature because plants use light energy to grow, and then most animals get their energy from eating plants.

The sun’s energy can be transferred to make s’mores. The DIY activity with Zoe shows you how to make your own s’more maker without electricity. It relies on energy transfer from the sun. Yum.

ENERGY TRANSFER VOCABULARY

Energy

It makes things happen! (Or more formally: the ability to do work)

Energy Transfer

Energy being moved from place to place.

Generator

Changes energy from one form to another.

Batteries

Store energy and change it from one form to another.

Solar Cell

Converts energy of sunlight into electrical energy.

Motion Energy

The energy something has due to movement.

A device that produces energy by spinning big blades, which in turns spins a generator to make electricity.

ENERGY TRANSFER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

How does Dr. Jeff's mom transfer energy to Bert?

Dr. Jeff’s mom uses motion energy to pedal a bike, which spins a wheel that is attached to a generator. The generator changes the motion energy into electrical energy, which flows through wires to Bert. Bert then stores energy in his batteries to use later.

Why do circuits need to maintain a closed loop?

Electricity only flows through a completed path we call a "closed circuit." Any opening in this path will stop the flow of electricity. A common example of a closed circuit would be a battery connected to a device through TWO wires which allow the electricity to flow in a loop.

How does Dr. Jeff break glass using sound?

When Dr. Jeff turns on very loud music near a pane of glass, some of that energy is converted to motion energy that causes the glass to bend, move and eventually shatter.

We Cover All Major Science Standards in Grades 3-5

What happens to the majority of the chemical energy stored in an apple when another organism eats it?

Which of the following identifies the source of matter used by photosynthetic organisms to form carbohydrates?

Which of the following best explains how the rate of the reaction changes over time?

Which of the following best describes the cause of the rapid increase in the number of mammalian species between 65?