Science Misconception

First you have to list why this misconception is correct.

Misconception: Energy gets used up or runs out

Reasons why this is false: One of the basic laws of science is the Law of Conservation of Energy is that energy can be neither created nor destroyed. It can only be changed from one form to another.

Describe a non-mathematical way to help your students correct their misconception of this idea.

Suppose you were freezing in your home and wanted to get warm. You could use the Law of Conservation of Energy to warm yourself. Take some wood and put it into the fireplace. The wood has potential energy within it. Next, light a match and apply the small flame to the dry wood. By burning the wood, the potential energy from the material is released into the air and produces fire. The change from potential energy to kinetic energy gives off heat which in turn warms you up. The energy that gives you warmth was not created, instead burning the wood allowed the energy within the wood to change form.

b. Condensation and evaporation is another form of energy transformation. Water falls to the earth from the clouds in the form of rain, sleet, hail or snow. It falls or leads to bodies of water where the drops are mixed with the other water content. The sun comes out and changes the energy in the water droplets so that the particles rise back up into the sky and form clouds. From there, the process repeats itself over and over again. The water molecules that constitute rain or rivers do not get created or destroyed. Instead the drops change form as their energy profile changes.

3. Also describe a mathematical equation that relates to this misconception and explain how the equation can help student understanding.

Formula for velocity: Velocity = distance divided by time or V = (d/t)

What this means is that velocity (speed) will increase over time as it crosses a greater distance. It is a means of measuring how kinetic energy in an object becomes working energy when the object is in motion.