Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1

Define the term energy.

Answer

Energy of a body is defined as its capacity to do work.

Question 2

State the unit of energy and define it?

Answer

The S.I. unit of energy is joule (J).

A body is said to possess an energy of one joule if one joule work is done to bring the body in that state i.e. a
force of 1 newton moves the body by a distance of 1 metre in the direction of force.

Question 3

Name five different forms of energy.

Answer

The five different forms of energy are:

1. Mechanical energy

2. Light energy

3. Heat energy

4. Magnetic energy

5. Electrical energy

Question 4

What are the two kinds of mechanical energy?

Answer

The two kinds of mechanical energy are:

1. Potential energy

2. Kinetic energy

Question 5

What is potential energy? State its unit.

Answer

Potential energy of a body is the energy possessed by it due to its state of rest or position. It is equal to the
work done in bringing the body to that state of rest or position.

Its unit is joule(J).

Give one example of a body that has potential energy, in each of the following:

(i) due to its position,

(ii) due to its state.

Answer

(i) A hammer at a height has potential energy stored in it because of its position at a height.

(ii) A wound up watch spring has potential energy because of the wound up state of its coils.

Question 7

Two bodies A and B of masses 10 kg and 20 kg respectively are at the same height above the ground. Which of
the two has greater potential energy?

Answer

Body B has greater potential energy.

Reason — Both bodies, A and B are at the same height above the ground. Value of g is also same for both. As
the mass of body B (20 kg) is greater than that of body A (10 kg) therefore potential energy of body B is
greater.

Question 8

A bucket full of water is on the first floor of your house and another identical bucket with same quantity of
water is kept on the second floor. Which of the two has greater potential energy?

Answer

The bucket kept on second floor has greater potential energy.

Reason — The two buckets are identical containing the same amount of water so their mass is same. Value of
g is also same for the two buckets. As the bucket on second floor is at a greater height hence its potential
energy is also greater.

Question 9

Define the term kinetic energy. Give one example of a body which possesses kinetic energy.

Answer

Kinetic energy of a body is the energy possessed by it due to its state of motion.

Example : A fast moving stone has kinetic energy which has the capacity of breaking a window pane when it
strikes on it.

Question 10

State two factors on which the kinetic energy of a moving body depends.

Answer

The two factors on which the kinetic energy of a moving body depends are:

1. The mass of the body — Greater the mass of the body, higher is its kinetic energy.

2. The speed of the body — More the speed of the body, higher is its kinetic energy.
Question 11

Two toy-cars A and B of masses 500 g and 200 g respectively are moving with the same speed. Which of the
two has greater kinetic energy?

Answer

The toy car A has greater kinetic energy than toy car B.

Reason — The two toy cars A and B are moving with the same speed. As the toy car A has greater mass (500 g)
than toy car B (200 g) thus its kinetic energy is also greater.

Hence, car A has greater kinetic energy.

Question 12

A cyclist doubles his speed. How will his kinetic energy change: increases, decreases or remains the same?

Answer

Kinetic energy of cyclist will increase as speed is doubled because more the speed of the body, more is its
kinetic energy.

Question 13

Name the form of energy which a wound up watch spring possesses.

Answer

Potential Energy.

Question 14

Name the type of energy (kinetic or potential) possessed by the following:

(i) A moving cricket ball.

(ii) A stone at rest on the top of a building.

(iii) A compressed spring.

(iv) A moving bus.

(v) A bullet fired from a gun.

(vi) Water flowing in a river.

(vii) A stretched rubber band.

Answer

(i) A moving cricket ball has kinetic energy due to its state of motion.

(ii) A stone at rest on the top of a building has potential energy due to its raised position.

(iii) A compressed spring has potential energy due to its compressed state.

(iv) A moving bus has kinetic energy due to its state of motion.

(v) A bullet fired from a gun has kinetic energy due to its state of motion.

(vi) Water flowing in a river has kinetic energy due to its state of motion.
(vii) A stretched rubber band has potential energy because of its stretched position.

Question 15

State the energy changes that occur in the following:

(i) The unwinding of a watch spring.

(ii) Burning coal while operating a steam engine.

(iii) Lighting of a torch bulb.

(iv) An electric generator (or dynamo).

Answer

(i) During the unwinding of a watch spring, the potential energy changes into kinetic energy.

(ii) In a steam engine chemical energy of coal first changes into heat energy which is transferred to steam.
Then the heat energy of steam changes into mechanical energy which causes the train to move.

(iii) When torch bulb is lighted, chemical energy of batteries change into light and heat energy.

(iv) In an electric generator (dynamo) mechanical energy changes into electrical energy.

Question 16

A ball is made to fall freely from a height. State the kind/kinds of energy possessed by the ball when it is:

(a) at the highest point

(b) just in the middle

(c) at the ground.

Answer

(a) Potential energy

(b) Potential energy and kinetic energy

(c) Kinetic energy

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1

State two factors on which the potential energy of a body at a certain height above the ground depends.

Answer

The two factors on which the potential energy of a body at a certain height above the ground depends are:

1. Mass of the body — Greater the mass of the body, greater is the potential energy of the body.

2. Its height above the ground — Higher the height of the body above the ground, more is the potential
energy.

Question 2

Can a body possess energy even when it is not in motion? Explain your answer with an example.
Answer

Yes, a body can possess energy even when it is not in motion.

Example — A stone at rest placed at a height above the ground has potential energy. Even though the body is
not in motion (kinetic energy = 0), but when a body is raised to a height say h possess potential energy
because of its raised position.

Question 3

Give one example to show the conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy when put in use.

Answer

A stone placed at a top of building has potential energy due to its height and when it is dropped from the t op
of the building it begins to fall. When it begins to fall the potential energy stored in it changes into kinetic
energy. So the falling stone has kinetic energy.

Question 4

Energy can exist in several forms and may change from one form to another. Give two examples to show the
conversion of energy from one form to another.

Answer

The two examples that show the conversion of energy from one form to another are:

1. In an electric fan, the electrical energy changes into mechanical energy that rotates the blades of a fan.

2. In a glowing bulb, the electrical energy changes into heat energy and light energy.

Question 5

Give one relevant example for each of the following transformations of energy:

(i) Electrical energy to heat energy

(ii) Electrical energy to mechanical energy

(iii) Electrical energy to light energy

(iv) Chemical energy to heat energy

(v) Chemical energy to light energy.

Answer

(i) Electric iron

(ii) Electric motor

(iii) Glowing bulb

(iv) Burning of wood

(v) Bursting of crackers

Question 6

What do you mean by conservation of mechanical energy? State the condition when it holds.
Answer

Whenever there is an interchange between the potential and kinetic energy, the total mechanical energy
remains constant. This is the principle of conservation of mechanical energy.

The condition when it holds is that there should be no frictional forces.

Question 7

Give one example to show that the sum of potential energy and kinetic energy remains constant if friction is
ignored.

Answer

During the vertical fall of a ball downwards from a height, the sum of potential energy and kinetic energy
remains constant at each point of its path, if friction is ignored.

Question 8

State the changes in form of energy while producing hydro-electricity.

Answer

Energy changes while producing hydro-electricity are:

Potential energy (Water stored in dam) ⟶ Kinetic energy (Water from dam falls on turbine) ⟶ kinetic
energy (of blades of turbine) ⟶ Electrical energy (Rotating turbine rotates the generator)

Question 9

A truck starts from rest on a plane road. What are the possible energy changes taking place while the truck is
in motion?

Answer

The possible energy changes taking place while the truck is in motion are:

1. Burning of diesel causes the truck to run so chemical energy changes into kinetic energy.

2. When the truck runs on the road, due to friction kinetic energy changes to heat and sound energy.