In this online extra lesson Grade 4, term 3, natural science, your child will learn about energy around us. 

Online extra lesson on energy.  Energy is everywhere. Our senses help us see light, hear sounds and feel the warmth of the sun’s rays and we can feel the wind blowing.  So, we are aware of the energy around us, including movement, heat, light and sound. We can see when the sun rises, because it causes light and heat energy. We can see when there is a storm approaching, we can see the lightning, feel the wind and hear the thunder.  At night we can hear people in their homes, watching TV, cooking, singing and chatting to each other, we can see they are in their houses because there are lights on. 

Let us have a look at the different types of energy: 

We can see light energy. Types of light energy include, the sun, light bulb, fire, paraffin lamp, burning coal, candle, screen monitor.

We can feel heat energy; heat energy can be hot or cold. We can hear sounds, because sound is a type of energy. Sounds could be pleasant or unpleasant. Sounds can be natural (thunder, birds or howling wind) or unnatural (piano, glass breaking or trucks). Movement energy comes from anything that moves. Water causes movement energy by creating waves for a surfer to surf. Wind causes movement energy by turning a windmills blades and gets the windmill to pump water from the ground. A car or bicycle causes movement energy by moving humans from one place to another. Energy is stored in sources such as food, wood, coal, crude oil products, such as petrol, diesel, paraffin, jet fuel, and candle wax.  

Machines and appliances need an input of energy to make them work and provide an output of energy (work) useful to us.