Steam engines

Steam engines

Pencil and paperOnline interactive
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about energy transformation. 

Question 1Change answer

steam-train-PK.jpg
 
a)  Steam engines transfer the energy of boiling water into the energy of movement.
     But steam engines are only about 3% efficient. Explain what this statement means.

Question 1Change answer

b)  If the steam generated is producing 1000 joules of energy each second, and the efficiency of the engine is 3%, how much energy would be changed into the energy of movement?
 joules per second

Question 1Change answer

c)  Name three forms of energy that the other 97% of the energy is transformed into:
1.
2.
3.
 
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper or online with SOME auto-marking.
Copyright: 
steam train
Image: (c) J.Fisher, PhotoKete
All images copyright to PhotoKete are used with permission and can be freely used for educational purposes in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Level:
5
Curriculum info: 
Science, Knowledge, Physical World
Keywords: 
physics concepts, energy, energy transformation
Description of task: 
Task: Explain what is meant by 'efficient', calculate the amount of energy produced per second and name three forms of 'waste energy' of steam engines. Assessment focus: energy transformations.
Answers/responses: 
   

Y11 (03/1998)
a) About 3% of the energy available is transferred into the energy of movement (kinetic energy), 97% of the energy is transferred into other forms. difficult
b) 30 (no working necessary). moderate
c) For any 3 of:

  • heat (radiation)
  • light
  • sound
 
easy
difficult
very difficult