Introduction

In the revised specification for International GCSE Physics, there has been a change in the

way energy is described. This is in response to suggestions from the Institute of Physics

relating to how energy is presented at this level. The new description of energy was

adopted because it was felt that this revised approach gives students a better

understanding of what is meant by energy and also helps those who chose to study Physics

at a higher level.

These notes are intended to provide further details about what the changes mean and how

they might impact on questions relating this topic.

The specification

In the existing (2011) specification, the relevant statement is:

4.2 describe energy transfers involving the following forms of energy: thermal (heat),

light, electrical, sound, kinetic, chemical, nuclear and potential (elastic and gravitational)

This has changed to:

4.2 describe energy transfers involving energy stores:

• energy stores: chemical, kinetic, gravitational, elastic, thermal, magnetic,

electrostatic, nuclear

• energy transfers: mechanically, electrically, by heating, by radiation (light and

sound)

Why make the change?

The reason for the change is to try and get away from the erroneous idea that energy is

something that flows during a transfer; and also to provide a stronger link between energy,

work, radiation and heating. The important thing is energy is just a number which can be

quantified and calculated. It is misleading to talk about light, electrical and sound as types

of energy as these are processes by which energy is transferred between stores. In the

new interpretation, we identify eight energy stores for which energy values can be

calculated. Energy can be lost by a store and gained by another but the total energy in all

the stores involved in an interaction remains constant.

Energy is transferred from one store to another by:

 electrical working (electrically)

 heating

 radiation (light and sound)

With all of these transfers, we are interested in the rate at which energy is being

transferred and not the amount stored. For example, if a 60 W lamp is connected to the

mains supply it is useful to know that energy is being transferred electrically at a rate of

60 J s-1 but asking about stored energy is not relevant as the energy is not stored

electrically.

In many text books energy is described as the capacity to do work. This is misleading because energy
does not just enable work to be done, it also enables heating and radiation to take place. It is therefore
preferable to say energy allows things to happen such as work, radiation and heating. It does not
however, explain why things happen; this is done using physical processes and mechanisms. Energy is a
very useful property because in any interaction the total energy remains constant. This means energy is
a quantity that can be quantified and calculated; the total energy has the same value before and after a
change. Sankey Diagrams Energy transfers can be shown by Sankey diagrams using the new
terminology. These are similar to those shown using the approach from the existing specification, there
is just a change in the way they are labelled. Sankey Diagram for a lamp Energy is transferred electrically
to a lamp where 10% of the energy is transferred usefully by light radiation. The width of the arrows
represents a rate of energy transfer. Using the New Terminology

Example 1: In an electrical circuit containing a lamp and a battery connected in series, chemical energy
stored in the battery is transferred by electrical working (electrically) to the lamp where it is transferred
usefully by light radiation and not usefully by heating of the surroundings.

Example 2: When a ball is released so that it falls to the ground, gravitational potential energy stored in
the ball and Earth system decreases as mechanical work is done by the gravitational force on the ball.
This work results in the kinetic energy stored in the ball increasing. If air resistance is present, then the
ball has to do work due to frictional forces and energy is transferred due to heating of the surroundings
resulting in the increase of stored kinetic energy of the ball being less than the decrease in gravitational
potential energy stored in the ball and Earth system. energy transferred electrically energy transferred
by light radiation energy transferred by heating In this example reference is made to the gravitational
potential energy of the ball and Earth system. This is correct terminology but at this level it is more
helpful not to refer to the system and express this as: when the ball is raised above the ground the
gravitational potential energy increases.

Example 3: When a mass is hung from a spring the spring extends. The gravitational potential energy
stored decreases as the mass moves downwards. This is because the gravitational force does mechanical
work extending the spring. This results in the elastic potential energy stored in the spring increasing. If
no heating occurs as the spring stretches, the decrease in gravitational potential energy is equal to the
increase in elastic potential energy.
Example 4: When a firework explodes, stored chemical energy of the substances in the firework
decreases due to energy being transferred by heating of the surroundings, by radiation (sound and light)
and by mechanical working on the pieces of the firework that fly away from the explosion site. It is
worth noting that in some books transfer by sound is referred to as mechanical working but it is felt that
at this level treating it as a radiation transfer is more helpful to students.

Example 5: In a microwave oven energy from the mains supply is transferred by electrical working
(electrically) to the microwave transmitter. Energy is transferred from the transmitter to the food in the
oven by microwave radiation. The thermal energy stored in the food increases resulting in a rise in
temperature of the food.

Example 6: In a hydroelectric power station, gravitational potential energy is stored because the water
reservoir is above the generating station. When water flows from the upper reservoir, work done by the
gravitational force results in the stored gravitational potential energy decreasing and stored kinetic
energy of the water increasing. The water has to do work against frictional forces resulting in heating of
the surroundings. As a consequence of this the increase in stored kinetic energy of the water is less that
the loss of stored potential energy. The water flows through a turbine doing mechanical work which
decreases the stored kinetic energy of the water, but increases the stored kinetic energy of the turbine.

Example 7: When a cyclist travels along a horizontal road, the cyclist’s stored chemical energy decreases
due to the mechanical work that is done. Energy is transferred to stored kinetic energy of the bike and
rider. As they continue to pedal chemical energy decreases and kinetic energy increases. The cyclist also
has to do mechanical work due to the frictional forces and air resistance. This results in energy being
transferred by heating of the surroundings. Air resistance increases with speed and eventually the
mechanical work that is done overcoming air resistance and friction is equal to the decrease in the
cyclist’s chemical energy and so all the energy is transferred by heating and there is no increase in
stored kinetic energy.