Middle school years 6 - 9

What is energy?

Energy is the ability to do work.

A safe and reliable electrical energy supply is an enormous advantage to a community. It allows a community to be highly productive and provides for a good standard of living.

Energy allows many processes to occur across many industries. Products are made and transported using energy and people from all over the world keep in touch and conduct business using telephones, email and the internet.

Who needs energy?

Everyone can enjoy a better quality of life with a safe and reliable energy supply. Technology for health care and diagnostic services requires a good power supply, as does many forms of entertainment like films, television and music.

Over time, a number of electricity and alternative energy generators have been built in Australia to create this reliable energy supply. Some countries do not have the resources to generate enough electricity for their communities, as building generators and the network to distribute energy is costly. Australia exports energy products to such places in the world.

In Australia, the state of Queensland is a significant provider of energy. Here is a timeline showing key developments in the energy industry in the Australian state of Queensland.

• 1824 - 1859 Firewood/ open cut coal mine at Redbank/Internal combustion engine



• 1860 - 1889 Gas lit, street lights/ steam train/ windmill invented for pumping water/ first electric light



• 1890 - 1899 Queensland town lit by electric power/ first hydro electric generator/ electric tram/radio transmission



• 1900 - 1949 Natural gas at Roma / photoelectric cell invented/ wind generators Hydro electric power at Barron/ Snowy mountains power



• 1950 - 2007 (Nuclear Lucas Hts) Solar cells, solar thermal power/Oil at Moonie/ Windy Hill farm/ biomass

Discussion questions:

• How did early Australians meet their energy needs?
• Describe the development of energy sources in Queensland from 1824 to 2007.
• Have a look at the Alternative Energy page on this website. What are some techonologies that show promise for future power generation?.
• Which technologies have developed the quickest?
• Which have developed the slowest?

Researchers today are producing more efficient energy solutions, however, new technologies also bring costs. The challenge is balancing the costs and benefits of new technologies to develop more efficient energy solutions. Use the worksheets and related links to further explore the energy industry.

Activities

Cooking with solar	Energy and Change 5.2	Build a solar cooker and fry an egg for breakfast.
School Building Survey	Energy and Change D5.5	A host of questions to check how efficient your school is.
The Lemon Battery	Energy and Change 6.2	Ever think a fruit could assist in creating electricity? Find out how in this experiment.
Energy delivery costs	Energy and Change 6.2	One of the most significant factors in the energy industry is the cost of infrasture to create the energy and also to transport it. Find out more about energy sources and their requirements.
Energy options	Energy and Beyond DB 6.4	Weigh up the costs and benefits of different sources of energy to recommend the best one for your local area.
Finding out about Greenhouse	Earth and Beyond DB6.5	The Greenhouse Effect is a major concern in the world today. Research to find the facts.
Do you have the shakes?		Do your hands ever get a little shaky? Let's build something that lights up if they do. Test yourself. Test your friends. Who has the shakes?
Charge and Carry Leyden Jar		You can produce electric charges which create sparks you can feel, see, and hear. In this experiment you will use a device called a Leyden jar, which you can make from a plastic film can to store the electric charge. We recommend adult supervision for this experiment.
Salt and Pepper		Ever mixed up the salt and the pepper on your dinner? Rub a balloon across a woollen surface to generate a static charge. Use the charge to separate the salt from the pepper.