CHAPTER 3
ENERGY
Short/Long answer questions (a) The mass of the body: Greater the mass of
the body, greater is the potential energy of
1. Define the term energy.
the body.
Answer: Energy is the capacity of doing work. (b) Its height above the ground: Higher the
height of the body, greater is its potential.
2. State the unit of energy and define it. 8. Two bodies A and B of masses 10 kg and
Answer: The S.I. unit of energy is joule (symbol J). 20 kg respectively are at the same height
A body is said to possess an energy of one joule if above the ground. Which of the two has the
a force of 1 newton moves the body by a distance greater potential energy?
of 1 metre in the direction of force Answer: The body B having mass 20 kg has the
3. Name five different forms of energy. greater potential energy. As these bodies are at the
same height, the body with greater mass will have
Answer: The different forms of energy are: (i) greater potential energy.
Mechanical energy (ii) Heat energy (iii) Light
energy (iv) Chemical energy (v) Sound energy (vi) 9. A bucket full of water is on the first floor
Magnetic energy (vii) Electrical energy and (viii) of your house and another identical bucket
Atomic energy or nuclear energy. with same quantity of water is kept on the
second floor. Which of the two has greater
4. What are the two kinds of mechanical potential energy?
energy.
Answer: A bucket full of water kept on second
Answer: The mechanical energy is found in two floor has the greater potential energy. When the
forms namely: (a) The potential energy, and (b) The height increases, the potential energy also
kinetic energy. increases.
5. What is potential energy? State its unit. 10. Define the term kinetic energy. Give one
Answer: Potential energy of a body is the energy example of a body which possesses kinetic
possessed by it due to its state of rest or position. energy.
The S.I. unit of potential energy is Joules. Answer: Kinetic energy of a body is the energy
6. Give one example of a body that has possessed by it due to its state of motion. Example:
potential energy, in each of the following: a moving car has kinetic energy due to its motion.
(i) due to its position, (ii) due to its state. 11. State two factors on which the kinetic
Answer: energy of a moving body depends.
(i) due to its position – a rock on the top of Answer:
a hill (a) The mass of the body — Greater the mass
(ii) due to its state – a stretched bow and of the body, higher is its kinetic energy.
arrow (b) The speed of the body — More the speed of
7. State two factors on which the potential the body, higher is its kinetic energy.
energy of a body at a certain height above 12. Two toy-cars A and B of masses 500 g and
the ground depends. 200 g respectively are moving with the
Answer: same speed. Which of the two has the
greater kinetic energy?
Answer: The toy car ‘A’ of mass ‘500 g’ has the energy keeps on increasing and potential energy
greater kinetic energy. The body of greater mass keeps on decreasing.
will have greater kinetic energy.
18. the energy changes that occur in the
13. A cyclist doubles his speed. How will his following: (i) The unwinding of a watch
kinetic energy change: increase, decrease or spring. (ii) Burning coal while operating a
remain same? steam engine. (iii) Lighting of a torch bulb.
(iv) An electric generator (or dynamo).
Answer: When a cyclist doubles his speed. His
kinetic energy increases four times. Answer:
14. Name the form of energy which a wound- (i) Potential energy to kinetic energy.
up watch spring possess. (ii) Chemical energy of coal changes to heat
energy of the steam. Heat energy changes
Answer: A wound up watch spring has the potential
into mechanical energy.
energy because of its wound-up state.
(iii)Chemical energy into light and heat energy.
15. Can a body possess energy even when it is (iv) Electrical energy change into mechanical
not in motion? Explain your answer with an energy.
example. 19. Energy can exist in several forms and may
change from one form to another. Give two
Answer: Yes, a body possesses energy even when it examples to show the conversion of energy
is not in motion; Consider a body raised to a certain from one form to another.
height say h. It its velocity is zero. Kinetic energy
will be zero but the body will have potential energy. Answer:
16. Name the type of energy (kinetic or (i) In a microphone, sound energy changes into
potential) possessed by the following: electrical energy.
(ii) In a heater, electrical energy changes into
(i) A moving cricket ball. (ii) A stone at rest on heat energy.
the top of a building. (iii) A compressed spring. 20. Give one relevant example for each of the
(iv) A moving bus. (v) A bullet fired from a gun. following transformation of energy:
(vi) Water flowing in a river. (vii) A stretched (i) Electrical energy to heat energy.
rubber band. (ii) Electrical energy to mechanical
Answer: energy.
(iii)Electrical energy to light energy.
(i) Kinetic energy. (iv) Chemical energy to heat energy.
(ii) Potential energy. (v) Chemical energy to light energy.
(iii) Potential energy.
(iv) Kinetic energy. Answer:
(v) Kinetic energy. (i) In an electric heater, oven, geyser,
(vi) Potential energy. toaster etc., the electrical energy
(vii) Potential energy. changes into heat energy.
17. Give one example to show the conversion (ii) An electric generator.
of potential energy to kinetic energy when (iii)Tube eight of bulbs.
put in use. (iv) Burning of wood, coal etc.
Answer: A stone at a height has the potential energy (v) Fire crackers burst
due to its lifted or raised position. When the stone 21. What do you mean by conservation of
is dropped from that position, its height decreases mechanical energy? State the condition
and potential energy decreases. This decreased when does it hold.
amount of potential energy will be converted into
kinetic energy. As the body falls down, this kinetic
Answer: This means “The total mechanical energy 24. State the changes in form of energy while
of an isolated system at any instant is equal to the producing hydroelectricity.
sum of kinetic energy and the potential energy.”
Answer: The flowing water of river is collected in
Condition: There should not be any friction. a dam at a high altitude. The water stored in the
dam has the potential energy. When water from
22. Give one example to show that the sum of
dam falls on the water turbine, the potential energy
potential energy and kinetic energy remains
of the water stored in dam changes into its kinetic
constant if friction is ignored.
energy and this kinetic energy of water is
Answer: During the vertical fall of ball, if friction transferred to the blades of turbine as the kinetic
due to air is neglected, the total sum of potential energy which rotates the turbine. As the turbine
energy and kinetic energy at each point of its path rotates, it rotates the armature of the generator (or
remains same. dynamo) to produce electricity.
23. A ball is made to fall freely from a height. 25. A truck starts from rest on a plane road
State the kind/ kinds of energy possessed by What are the possible energy changes
the ball when it is taking place while the truck is in motion?
(a) at the highest point
Answer:
(b) just in the middle
(c) at the ground. (i) chemical energy of fuel changes to heat
energy on burning.
Answer:
(ii) Heat energy changes into mechanical
(a) Potential energy. energy when engine piston moves.
(b) Potential energy + Kinetic energy. (iii) This mechanical energy changes into
(c) Kinetic energy. kinetic energy of the truck.