Charge My Phone Classroom Activity
Activity DETAILS
YEAR LEVELS
Curriculum Links
The Charge My Phone activity introduces the concept of energy transformation and illustrates the different forms energy takes before appearing as electrical energy in our everyday lives. Students will look at the conversion of energy required to charge a mobile phone from the source to the electrical power supply and are asked to order the different steps of the process in a chronological sequence.
Forms of Energy, Energy Transformations, Fossil Fuels, Resources, Energy Efficiency
1. Students will be able to identify different forms of energy; including moving vs stored energy
2. Students will understand that energy cannot be created or destroyed but transformed from one form to another
3. Students will recognise the need for a complete circuit to allow the flow of electricity
Formative
1. Participation in the Charge My Phone activity
2. Participation in the Discussion questions above
1. Sequence
Each card in this activity represents a stage in the process of converting coal into electrical energy to charge our phones. Order each card into the correct chronological sequence for this process.
2. Renewable Alternativces
What if we were to substitute the use of a renewable energy in place of coal? Find the ‘Renewable Energy’ cards and insert them into the first sequence, removing any cards/processes that are no longer required.
3. Discussion
1. Label the different forms of energy and their transformations throughout the process. Are there any by-products (e.g. steam, heat, light, carbon emissions)?
2. How is electric energy transported along this process?
3. Compare the energy source of coal, to that of the sun or wind. What do you notice is different about these processes?