Overview

The concepts in PS.6 build upon several science standards from previous grades, including 4.2, 4.3, 6.2, and 6.4. These standards introduce and develop basic ideas about states and forms of energy. At the sixth-grade level, this sequence culminates with the idea about energy transformations. In PS.6, concepts about energy forms, energy transformations, and potential and kinetic energy continue to be expanded and treated in greater depth, including more mathematical application. It is intended that students will actively develop scientific investigation, reasoning, and logic skills, and the nature of science (PS.1) in the context of the key concepts presented in this standard.

 

PS.6           The student will investigate and understand forms of energy and how energy is transferred and transformed. Key concepts include

a)      potential and kinetic energy; and

b)     mechanical, chemical, electrical, thermal, radiant and nuclear energy.

 

Essential Understandings

Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Processes

The critical scientific concepts developed in this standard include the following:

  • Energy is the ability to do work.
  • Energy exists in two states. Potential energy is stored energy based on position or chemical composition. Kinetic energy is energy of motion. Students should know that the amount of potential energy associated with an object depends on its position. The amount of kinetic energy depends on the mass and velocity of the moving object.
  • Important forms of energy include radiant, thermal, chemical, electrical, mechanical, and nuclear energy. Visible light is a form of radiant energy and sound is a form of mechanical energy.
  • Energy can be transformed from one type to another. In any energy conversion, some of the energy is lost to the environment as thermal energy.

 

In order to meet this standard, it is expected that students will

  • differentiate between potential and kinetic energy.
  • use diagrams or concrete examples to compare relative amounts of potential and kinetic energy.
  • identify and give examples of common forms of energy.
  • design an investigation or create a diagram to illustrate energy transformations.