Today we finished off part 1 of the Bean Lab. This part of the lab had us working on how energy transfers from on type to another. We leaned that total energy is potential energy and kinetic energy added together. We also discussed how energy is neither created or destroyed, it is just changed from one type to another. This statement defines the law of conservation of energy and is also know as the 1st law of thermodynamics.
We also discussed that as humans we are part of this energy exchange. We eat food such as beans, and the beans are stored energy that has been grown by a plant. The plant gets its energy from the sun through the process of photosynthesis. So, in a way we are solar powered by not directly. One more thing, if we eat meat then that adds one more layer, but we are still getting out energy from the sun.
We then started the 2nd part of the Bean Lab. This time around we are working with 2 types of beans, black eyed peas and kidney beans, which represent renewable and nonrenewable resources. We drew beans from a bag to see how much renewable and nonrenewable energy is being used.