13. What types of energy does Wile E.’s ACME Flyer turn into? Is his ACME Flyer 100% energy efficient? Why or why not?
Wile E.'s ACME Flyer converts potential energy into kinetic energy when it takes off, and as it functions, some kinetic energy is transformed into thermal energy due to friction and air resistance. The Flyer would not be 100% energy efficient because some of the energy is always lost as heat to the environment due to these factors. In reality, no machine can be 100% energy efficient because there are always losses in energy conversion processes.
14. Use Potential and Kinetic Energy to explain why Wile E.’s spring did not work the way he planned.
Wile E.’s spring likely stored potential energy when it was compressed. However, when released, not all of that potential energy converted to kinetic energy of the Flyer due to inefficiencies such as energy losses from friction or deformation of the spring. If the spring did not have enough potential energy to fully launch the Flyer or if the energy was lost before the Flyer could take off, it would not function as planned, resulting in less kinetic energy than expected.
15. What types of heat transfer (conduction, convection, or radiation) take place when Wile E. tries to cook soup? How do you know?
When Wile E. tries to cook soup, both conduction and convection occur. Conduction happens when the heat from the cooking surface transfers directly to the pot and then to the soup. Convection occurs as the heated soup rises and cooler soup moves to the bottom, allowing for an even cooking temperature throughout. You can identify conduction by the direct contact between the pot and the heat source and convection by the movement of the liquid in the pot as it heats. Radiation typically wouldn’t apply in this scenario unless some form of infrared heat was being utilized.
5 answers