Distinguish conditions likely to result in transfers or transformations of energy from one part of a system to another (e.g., a temperature difference may result in the flow of thermal energy from a hot area to a cold area).
TOPS Heat & TOPS Electricty
Describe what happens in terms of energy conservation to a system's total energy as energy is transferred or transformed (e.g., energy is never lost, the sum of kinetic and potential energy remains somewhat constant).
TOPS Simple Machines
Explain the relationship between the motion of particles in a substance and the transfer or transformation of thermal and electrical energy (e.g., conduction of thermal and electrical energy as particles collide or interact, convection of thermal energy as groups of particles move from one place to another, and light waves transforming into thermal energy).
TOPS Heat, TOPS Kinetic Model & TOPS Electricity
Explain how or whether a phase change, a chemical reaction, or a nuclear reaction absorbs or releases energy in a system (e.g., water vapor forming rain or snow releases energy; water molecules speed up as they absorb energy until the molecules gain enough energy to become water vapor).