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Brooklyn
Science Teacher
Science 8
02/09/16
Throughout Unit D, we learned all about energy. For our final project, we completed a
presentation as long as a write up. This is my write up for my final project on energy.
Unit D Science Final Project
There are three different ways thermal energy can be transferred from one place to
another. The first way is by radiation. The definition of radiation is the transfer of thermal
energy through electromagnetic waves, rather than the movement of particles. An example of
this would be a fireplace. When this fire is warmer than its surroundings, it transfers some of its
thermal energy into the room, heating the overall temperature. My Bible example of this energy
transfer comes from John 8:12. Jesus says that He is the Light of the world and whoever follows
Him will never walk in darkness. This may not be legit radiation, but I believe that His love
radiates to all of the people around Him, lighting up the world. The second way thermal energy
can be transferred is through conduction. In order to conduct the energy, the two objects must be
touching on another. When something is a conductor, it allows an energy transfer between
objects. Conduction is the transfer of heat or thermal energy from hot to cold due to two objects
that are touching. For example, an iron for wrinkly clothes can be a conductor. By touching the
clothing, the thermal energy is transferred from the heat source (and the conductor being the
iron) to the shirt. The third way thermal energy can be transferred is through convection. A
convection current is an ongoing current that involves a heat source. The particles closer to the
heat source heat up, and this causes them to rise. Then, as they get farther and farther from the

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heat source, they begin to cool again and sink back down. As long as the heat source remains, the
current will continue to occur and will remain constant. Think of a volcano and the air around it.
These particles warm up and begin rising, then cool, and sink back down again. These are the
three types of thermal energy transfers that can occur.

In energy transfers involving thermal energy, there are almost always some form of lost
energy. Lost energy can include sound, light, or heat. The Law of Conservation of Matter states
that energy cannot be created nor destroyed. Therefore, in any experiment, the amount of energy
must always remain the same, no matter the type of energy transfer. It may not appear like this at
times due to the three forms of lost energy, being sound, light, and heat. This is because lost
energy is hard to harness and to measure, so at the end of an experiment, there may seem to be
less energy than at the beginning. The three ways a thermal energy transfer can occur is by
radiation, conduction, or convection but through them all, the amount of energy remains the
same even with the existence of lost energy.
A conductor is a material that conducts energy from two things being touched together.
However, an insulator is something that slows down the rate of energy transfer. For example,
think of a hot cookie sheet. If this pan had a handle made of metal or any other material that is a
conductor, the thermal energy from the stove and hot cookies would be transferred to the handle,
causing your hands to burn. However, if you picked up the cookie sheet using plastic/ rubber, or
a thicker piece of cloth, your hand will stay cool because the thermal energy has not yet been
transferred to your hand which is because the cloth and rubber are acting as insulators. These
insulators slow down the rate of energy; therefore, the thermal energy will not transfer as quickly
from the pan to your hand, giving you time to harmlessly and successfully take the sheet of

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cookies out of the oven. Conductors and insulators take place in certain transfers such as
conduction. If you use an insulator, the energy will not be successfully transferred. But by using
a conductor, conduction is quite possible. This is an example of conductors and insulators and
how they apply in your everyday life.

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Works Cited Page

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