Author: Zach
EU3. Fossil Fuels
Chapter 3 { Energy Use Contents } Next time you look at a blade of grass, think about this: without green plants none of us would survive. In some cases, we eat plants directly to get the energy that is stored in them. In other cases, cows or pigs eat the plants, store the energy […]
EU2.2. Using Electricity to Do Work
{ Energy Use Contents } { All GSS Books } In the Lab Investigation “Doing Work to Create Electricity,” you were generating electricity by moving a coil of wire near a magnet or moving the magnet near the coil. The generator transforms kinetic energy (energy of motion) into electrical energy. Do you think you can […]
EU2.1. Doing Work to Create Electricity
{ Energy Use Contents } { All GSS Books } Use magnets and coils of wire to investigate what kind of responses you can get from an electric meter. Your challenge is to arrange and rearrange the magnets and wires to generate as much electrical output as you can. Materials magnet wire (24 gauge, 3 […]
EU2. Energy Basics
Chapter 2 { Energy Use Contents } In order to make intelligent choices about energy it’s important to understand what energy is. Surprisingly, energy is not easy to define; and you are likely to find different definitions in different textbooks. A useful definition for energy is “that which makes things happen.” Can you see energy? […]
EU1. How People Use Energy
Chapter 1 { Energy Use Contents } Without energy, nothing happens. With energy, things start happening. An intricate web of energy connects everything. The sound of rain on the leaves, the sound of a waterfall, and the sound of a rock concert are all related. Here’s how . . . The Sun shines on oceans, […]
Bibliography for Energy Use
{ Energy Use Contents } { All GSS Books } Amatek, Inc., Solar Energy Handbook, 2nd ed., Chilton Book Company, Radnor, Pennsylvania, 1984. DeCicco, John, Green Guide to Cars and Trucks: Model Year 1999; and Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, 1998; plus many others, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy “Another Crude Year,” […]
Energy Use
ENERGY USE is in the GSS theme 4, Underlying Causes and Possible Solutions. See Overview. Contents Chapters Investigations Stay Current 1. How People Use Energy 1.1. Recent History Chapter 1 2. Energy Basics 2.1. Create Electricity2.2. Electric Motor2.3. Transformations Chapter 2 3. Fossil Fuels 3.1. Energy Units Chapter 3 4. Field Trip to a Power […]
EF9C. Stay Current—How Does Energy Flow in Living Systems?
2025-03-01. How Fungi Move Among Us. By Alan Burdick, The New York Times. Excerpt: Mycorrhizal fungi are the supply chains of the soil. With filaments thinner than hair, they shuttle vital nutrients to plants and tree roots. In return, the fungi receive carbon to grow their networks. In this way, 13 billion tons of atmospheric […]
EF8C. Stay Current—What is El Niño?
Staying current for Chapter 8 See Non-chronological Resources. { Energy Flow Contents } 2025-10-15. Panama’s Coastal Waters Missed Their Annual Cooldown This Year. By Katherine Bourzac, Eos/AGU. Excerpt: From January to April, strong winds blowing south from the Atlantic side of Panama through gaps in the Cordillera mountain range typically travel over the country and […]
EF7C. Stay Current—What Causes Thunderstorms and Tornadoes?
Staying current for Chapter 7 See Non-chronological Resources. { Energy Flow Contents } -•-2025-10-27. Building Better Weather Networks. By Grace van Deelen, Eos/AGU. Excerpt: A lack of weather data often leaves African communities vulnerable. Convergent efforts to improve observational networks throughout the continent are slowly filling the gaps. Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake, supports a […]