Energy Conversion
Energy Conversion is when one kind of energy changes into a different kind of energy.
A ball sits on a high shelf above the floor. Up there, it has stored energy from its height. Knock it off and that stored energy turns into speed as the ball falls. When it hits the ground, the speed energy turns into sound and a small burst of heat.
Explaining energy conversion by grade level
A peanut holds stored energy inside it. When you burn the peanut, that energy turns into heat. The heat warms up water nearby. The energy moved from food to flame to warm water.
Projects that explore energy conversion
Energy conversion changes one kind of energy into another. Candles turn chemical energy into heat. That heat turns water into steam. The steam escapes through a small hole and pushes a boat forward.
Everything you eat contains stored chemical energy, and a peanut holds enough to measurably heat water. When you burn it, that chemical energy converts into heat that rises into a small can of water sitting above it. The temperature rise tells you roughly how much energy the peanut released — and you can try different nuts to see which one heats the water the most.
When you turn the spool with your fingers, your hand's motion energy converts into the movement of the elevator car. A counterweight balances the car so the motor does less work during this conversion. Turn the spool one way and the car rises; turn it the other and it descends.