geothermal energy experiments middle school

Energy 101: Geothermal Energy

US Department of Energy

This resource presents a brief overview of geothermal energy and how it is transformed into a usable product.

Notes from our reviewers

The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials .

• Teaching Tips The next step would be to explore and teach the science behind dry steam, flash steam, and binary cycle geothermal power plants. This introductory resource might be useful to explain the many ways that energy is harnessed for human use. Consider using this resource in conjunction with a collection of other media on energy sources.
• About the Science This video summarizes the different types of geothermal power plants including dry steam, flash steam, and binary cycle. It also highlights their positive environmental benefits including low emissions and a small physical footprint. This video provides an introduction to geothermal energy and can be used at the beginning of a lesson. It does not go into scientific detail about the processes involved in converting geothermal energy into electricity. Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.
• About the Pedagogy The visuals are engaging and examples are given of the different ways that geothermal heat can be used to produce electricity, including dry steam, flash steam, and binary cycle.
• Technical Details/Ease of Use Video length is 03:47 min

Geothermal for Kids

Also fun for adults!

Education of the younger generation is important to us. As a parent, teacher or tutor it is vital to help children grow and communicate to them knowledge about the world we live in. Find useful information that will help your child learn more about the geothermal energy in a funny and playful manner.

Geothermal?

“Geo” means “earth,” and “thermal” means “heat,” so geothermal energy means “heat from the earth”.

Geothermal energy is produced during the slow decay of radioactive elements in the earth’s core. This process is continuous and it never stops, this is why geothermal energy is a renewable energy source.

The hot steam from a geyser and the hot lava from a volcanoe are examples of geothermal energy because they both come from the underground heat.

We can use geothermal to heat our homes and generate electricity. Have you ever been to a geothermal hot spring? The geothermal bathing and thermal beauty products represent another use of geothermal energy.

Renewable Energy 101:

How does Geothermal Energy work?

The Happy House Story Book (pdf, 5 MB)

The Happy House Coloring Book (pdf, 2 MB)

Middle School Book Activities (pdf, 5 MB)

Middle School Book (pdf, 4 MB)

Contact us:

International Geothermal Association Lise-Meitner-Allee 24 44801 Bochum Germany

E-Mail: [email protected]

• Corporate Membership
• Affiliated Membership
• Institutional Membership
• Individual Membership
• Student Membership

Our website uses cookies to improve the functionality of our site and your experience.

Cookie and Privacy Settings

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.

Fun Science Projects & Experiments

Science projects or science experiments: grades 4 & 5 geothermal energy.

We welcome your feedback, comments and questions about this site or page. Please submit your feedback or enquiries via our Feedback page.

FREE K-12 standards-aligned STEM

curriculum for educators everywhere!

Find more at TeachEngineering.org .

Renewable Energy Living Lab

• TeachEngineering
• Living Labs
• Renewable Energy

This Living Lab offers you a chance to evaluate the renewable energy sources in the U.S. Renewable energy comes from natural resources such as wind, plant material, water (rain or tides), geothermal, or sunlight and is naturally replenished. Both renewable and non-renewable energy sources are used to generate electricity, power vehicles, and provide heating, cooling, and light. Renewable sources of energy vary widely in their cost-effectiveness and in their availability across the United States. Although water, wind, and other renewables may seem free, the cost comes in collecting and transporting the energy to the places where energy is needed. For example, to utilize energy from water, a dam must be built along with electric generators and transmission lines. Enter the Living Lab to look at the available renewable energy sources.

Wind is kinetic energy - a mass of air moving with speed (or velocity). The sun unevenly heats the Earth’s surface throughout the day. The air above the land heats up more quickly than the air over the water. The warm air expands and rises, and the cooler air rushes in to take its place, creating wind. This wind energy (or power) is harnessed using wind turbines. The wind rotates the turbine blades and turns a generator to produce electricity.

Biomass is potential energy found in living or recently living organisms (plants, animals, and their waste products). The energy in biomass is stored from the sun through photosynthesis. We have been using biomass as energy since man began burning wood to cook and keep warm. Wood is the largest biomass energy resource today, but food crops, grassy and woody plants, residues from agriculture or forestry, oil-rich algae, and the organic component of municipal and industrial wastes. Even the fumes from landfills (which are methane, a natural gas) can be used as a biomass energy source.

Flowing water creates energy called hydroelectric power or hydropower. Water constantly moves through a vast global cycle, evaporating from lakes and oceans, forming clouds, precipitating as rain or snow, then flowing back down to the ocean. The energy of this water cycle, which is driven by the sun, can be tapped to produce electricity. Hydropower uses a fuel—water—that is not reduced or used up in the process. The amount of available energy in moving water is determined by its flow (kinetic energy) or fall (potential energy). Swiftly flowing water in a big river carries a great deal of energy in its flow. Water descending rapidly from a very high point also has lots of energy in its flow. In either instance, the water flows through a pipe, or penstock, then pushes against and turns blades in a turbine to spin a generator to produce electricity. In a run-of-the-river system, the force of the current applies the needed pressure, while in a storage system, water is accumulated in reservoirs created by dams, then released as needed to generate electricity.

Geothermal energy is heat energy from the Earth’s core. Rock and underground water absorb this energy and become very hot. Electricity can be generated from this heat energy by drilling deep wells and pumping out the heated underground water. This water is so hot it turns to steam when it reaches the surface of the Earth, like at Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, where this heat energy comes very close to the surface and creates geysers of hot water and steam.

Solar power captures and converts the sun’s radiant energy into energy that can be used to power homes and industry. Solar energy is responsible for heating the Earth’s atmosphere, driving the climate, and providing the foundation of most food chains through photosynthesis. Solar power can be collected using very large mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto receivers that collect the solar energy and convert it to heat. Solar power can also be collected using solar cells to convert sunlight directly into electricity. You have probably seen these cells as panels on the rooftops of houses or other buildings.

The Environment

Geothermal energy.

• Geothermal heat pumps - About 10 feet below the surface of the Earth, the ground is a consistent temperature between 50 and 60° F throughout the year. Geothermal heat pumps take advantage of this constant temperature to heat or cool water. By moving water through the Earth it can be heated in the winter or cooled in the summer. This water can then be used by a heat exchanger to heat or cool the air in a home. This can be a very efficient and inexpensive way to heat or cool buildings.
• Direct use - Another way to take advantage of the Earth's heat is to directly use hot water from hot springs. This water can be used with heat exchangers to heat up homes and buildings. It also can be used to heat pools.
• Generating electricity - Finally, geothermal energy can be used by power plants to create electricity. Power plants take advantage of extremely hot water that is between one and two miles deep in the Earth. Some power plants pipe the steam directly up to the generator. They are called dry steam power plants. Other power plants, called flash steam plants, use high pressure from deep in the Earth to create steam to drive the generator.
• The majority of geothermal electric plants in the United States are found in the western portion of the country. California is the number one producer, followed by Nevada, Utah , Hawaii, and Idaho.
• The United States is the largest producer of geothermal electricity.
• In 2011, the Philippines generated around 16% of their total electricity using geothermal electric plants. Iceland produced 26% of their total electricity using geothermal energy.
• It is possible for geothermal electric plants to cause earthquakes .
• The best place to find geothermal resources is along plate boundaries. This is also where you find the most volcanoes and get the most earthquakes.
• Take a ten question quiz about this page.
• Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Energy Kids: U.S. Energy Information Administration

• Energy Basics
• Laws of Energy
• Sources of Energy
• Energy Units Basics
• Energy Calculators
• Periodic Table
• Diesel Fuel
• Natural Gas
• Uranium (nuclear)
• Science of Electricity
• Electricity in the U.S.
• Recent Statistics
• Energy Use Basics
• Greenhouse Gases
• In Commercial Buildings
• In Industry
• For Transportation
• Saving Energy
• Electricity
• Municipal Solid Waste
• Oil (petroleum)
• Photovoltaic
• Solar Thermal
• Transportation
• Alcorn (1940)
• Celsius (1701)
• Crosthwait (1898)
• Curie (1867)
• Dalton (1766)
• Diesel (1858)
• Drake (1819)
• Edison (1847)
• Einstein (1879)
• Faraday (1791)
• Ford (1863)
• Franklin (1706)
• Goddard (1882)
• Goeppert-Mayer (1906)
• Gourdine (1929)
• Jones (1892)
• Joule (1818)
• Koontz (1922)
• Latimer (1848)
• Marconi (1874)
• Maxwell (1831)
• Meitner (1878)
• Newton (1642)
• Oppenheimer (1908)
• Otto (1832)
• Pupin (1858)
• Roberts (1913)
• Stanley (1858)
• Stokes (1924)
• Tesla (1856)
• Woods (1856)
• Science Fair Experiments
• Field Trips
• Things to Do
• Intermediate
• Teacher Guide
• Career Corner
• Related Links
• Energy Calculators »
• Glossary »
• Awards »
• Where geothermal energy is found »
• Use of geothermal energy »
• Geothermal power plants »
• Geothermal heat pumps »
• Geothermal energy & the environment »

Geothermal basics

What is geothermal energy.

Geothermal energy is heat within the earth. The word geothermal comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme (heat). Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source because heat is continuously produced inside the earth. People use geothermal heat for bathing, to heat buildings, and to generate electricity.

Geothermal energy comes from deep inside the earth

Source: Adapted from a National Energy Education Development Project graphic (public domain)

The slow decay of radioactive particles in the earth's core, a process that happens in all rocks, produces geothermal energy.

• An inner core of solid iron that is about 1,500 miles in diameter
• An outer core of hot molten rock called magma that is about 1,500 miles thick.
• A mantle of magma and rock surrounding the outer core that is about 1,800 miles thick
• A crust of solid rock that forms the continents and ocean floors that is 15 to 35 miles thick under the continents and 3 to 5 miles thick under the oceans

Scientists have discovered that the temperature of the earth's inner core is about 10,800 degrees Fahrenheit (°F), which is as hot as the surface of the sun. Temperatures in the mantle range from about 392°F at the upper boundary with the earth's crust to approximately 7,230°F at the mantle-core boundary.

The earth's crust is broken into pieces called tectonic plates. Magma comes close to the earth's surface near the edges of these plates, which is where many volcanoes occur. The lava that erupts from volcanoes is partly magma. Rocks and water absorb heat from magma deep underground. The rocks and water found deeper underground have the highest temperatures.

back to top

Where geothermal energy is found

Click to enlarge

Geothermal reservoirs are naturally occurring areas of hydrothermal resources. These reservoirs are deep underground and are largely undetectable above ground. Geothermal energy finds its way to the earth's surface in three ways:

• Volcanoes and fumaroles (holes in the earth where volcanic gases are released)
• Hot springs

Most geothermal resources are near the boundaries of the earth’s tectonic plates

The most active geothermal resources are usually found along major tectonic plate boundaries where most volcanoes are located. One of the most active geothermal areas in the world is called the Ring of Fire, which encircles the Pacific Ocean.

When magma comes near the earth's surface, it heats ground water trapped in porous rock or water running along fractured rock surfaces and faults. Hydrothermal features have two common ingredients: water (hydro) and heat (thermal).

Geologists use various methods to find geothermal reservoirs. Drilling a well and testing the temperature deep underground is the most reliable method for locating a geothermal reservoir.

U.S. geothermal power plants are located in the West

Most of the geothermal power plants in the United States are in western states and Hawaii, where geothermal energy resources are close to the earth's surface. California generates the most electricity from geothermal energy. The Geysers dry steam reservoir in Northern California is the largest known dry steam field in the world and has been producing electricity since 1960.

Use of geothermal energy

Some applications of geothermal energy use the earth's temperatures near the surface, while others require drilling miles into the earth. There are three main types of geothermal energy systems:

Direct use and district heating systems

• Electricity generation power plants

Geothermal heat pumps

Direct use and district heating systems use hot water from springs or reservoirs located near the surface of the earth. Ancient Roman, Chinese, and Native American cultures used hot mineral springs for bathing, cooking, and heating. Today, many hot springs are still used for bathing, and many people believe the hot, mineral-rich waters have natural healing powers.

Geothermal energy is also used to heat buildings through district heating systems. Hot water near the earth's surface is piped directly into buildings for heat. A district heating system provides heat for most of the buildings in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Industrial applications of geothermal energy include food dehydration, gold mining, and milk pasteurizing. Dehydration, or the drying of vegetable and fruit products, is the most common industrial use of geothermal energy.

Geothermal electricity generation

Geothermal electricity generation requires water or steam at high temperatures (300° to 700°F). Geothermal power plants are generally built where geothermal reservoirs are located, within a mile or two of the earth's surface.

The United States leads the world in the amount of electricity generated with geothermal energy. In 2021, there were geothermal power plants in seven states, which produced about 16 billion kilowatthours (kWh), equal to 0.4% of total U.S. utility-scale electricity generation.

In 2021, 27 countries, including the United States, generated a total of about 92 billion kWh of electricity from geothermal energy. Indonesia was the second-largest geothermal electricity producer after the United States—nearly 16 billion kWh of electricity—and equal to 5% of Indonesia’s total electricity generation. Kenya was the eighth-highest geothermal electricity producer at about 5 billion kWh. This was equal to about 43% of Kenya's annual electricity generation, which was the largest percentage share among all countries with geothermal power plants.

Geothermal heat pumps use the constant temperatures near the surface of the earth to heat and cool buildings. Geothermal heat pumps transfer heat from the ground (or water) into buildings during the winter and reverse the process in the summer.

Geothermal power plants

Source: Stock photography (copyrighted)

Geothermal power plants use hydrothermal resources that have both water (hydro) and heat (thermal). Geothermal power plants require high-temperature (300°F to 700°F) hydrothermal resources that come from either dry steam wells or from hot water wells. People use these resources by drilling wells into the earth and then piping steam or hot water to the surface. The hot water or steam powers a turbine that generates electricity. Some geothermal wells are as much as two miles deep.

Types of geothermal power plants

There are three basic types of geothermal power plants:

• Dry steam plants use steam directly from a geothermal reservoir to turn generator turbines. The first geothermal power plant was built in 1904 in Tuscany, Italy, where natural steam erupted from the earth.
• Flash steam plants take high-pressure hot water from deep inside the earth and convert it to steam to drive generator turbines. When the steam cools, it condenses to water and is injected back into the ground to be used again. Most geothermal power plants are flash steam plants.
• Binary cycle power plants transfer the heat from geothermal hot water to another liquid. The heat causes the second liquid to turn to steam, which is used to drive a generator turbine.

Geothermal heat pumps use the earth's constant temperatures for heating and cooling

Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (public domain)

Although air temperatures above ground change throughout the day and with the seasons, temperatures of the earth 10 feet below ground are consistently between 50°F and 60°F. For most areas of the United States, this means soil temperatures are usually warmer than the air in winter and cooler than the air in summer. Geothermal heat pumps use the earth's constant temperature to heat and cool buildings. Geothermal heat pumps transfer heat from the ground (or water) into buildings during the winter and reverse the process in the summer.

Geothermal heat pumps are energy efficient and cost effective

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), geothermal heat pumps are the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective systems for heating and cooling buildings. All types of buildings, including homes, office buildings, schools, and hospitals, can use geothermal heat pumps.

Geothermal energy and the environment

The environmental effects of geothermal energy depend on how geothermal energy is used or how it is converted to useful energy. Direct use applications and geothermal heat pumps may have a very small effect on the environment. In fact, they may reduce the use of energy sources that may have larger effects on the environment.

Geothermal power plants have low emission levels

Geothermal power plants do not burn fuel to generate electricity, but they may release small amounts of sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide. Geothermal power plants emit 97% less acid rain-causing sulfur compounds and about 99% less carbon dioxide than fossil fuel power plants of similar size. Geothermal power plants use scrubbers to remove the hydrogen sulfide naturally found in geothermal reservoirs. Most geothermal power plants inject the geothermal steam and water that they use back into the earth. This water recycling can help to maintain the geothermal energy resource.

Many geothermal features are national treasures

Geothermal features in national parks, such as geysers and fumaroles in Yellowstone National Park, are protected by law.

Ask Energy Ant about energy. »

What is energy.

• Forms of Energy

Energy Sources

• Nonrenewable

Using & Saving Energy

• Energy and the Environment

History of Energy

• Energy Timelines
• Famous People

Calculators & Tools

Games & activities, for teachers.

• Lesson Plans

U.S. Energy Information Administration

• Privacy Policy

Thermal Energy Projects for Middle School Science

If you are a middle school science teacher, there’s a good chance, at some point, you’ll find yourself teaching a thermal energy lesson or two. It’s a very common topic included within middle school science curriculums, particularly for those with a focus on physical science. As with most important scientific principles taught within the middle school classroom, I find that hands-on investigations, energy science experiments, and other hands-on activities are often the best way to make this important fundamental concept come alive for middle schoolers. If you are preparing to teach your own energy unit, here are a few of my favorite thermal energy projects for middle school science.

Let’s start with the basics!

Thermal energy is one of several different forms of energy described within the earth sciences. Also known as heat energy, thermal energy can be defined as the energy an object has because of the movement of its molecules.

Other types of energy include:

• Light energy
• Chemical energy
• Mechanical energy
• Electrical energy
• Gravitational energy
• Elastic energy

If you’re looking for a great way to introduce the different types of energy, as well as the law of conservation of energy, check out the interactive slides below:

thermal energy projects for middle school science

As I mentioned before, when it comes to solidifying content knowledge for your middle school science students, there truly is no beating hands-on experience. When a student is able to see and apply the content concepts they’ve learned through other activities (such as guided readings or interactive slides ) the concepts go from being abstract and theoretical ( not to mention, easily forgotten ) to concrete ideas with a real world application.

Isn’t that the whole point of teaching science after all?

Standards Connection:

Standard: ms-ps1-6 ​​.

“Undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes.”

Alright, let’s get down to the crux of the matter…practical and effective thermal energy projects for middle school science. Over the years, I’ve trialed many different types of science experiments and hands-on projects. When it comes to teaching energy transformations, specifically the transfer of thermal energy, these projects are some of the best! Not only are they fun and exciting for my students, they are feel manageable for me as the teacher. It’s truly a win-win!

Ice Cream Boxes

Want a quick and easy way to grab the attention of a room full of pre-teens?! Give them ice cream!! For this project, students will work in small groups to design and build a small box that minimizes the transfer of thermal energy and keeps the temperature of the sample (in this case, delicious ice cream) consistently cool. The best part of this particular project? Students can enjoy a tasty ice cream snack at the end!

Insulated Water Bottle Challenge

Similar to the ice cream experiment mentioned above, the insulated water bottle challenge is another favorite when it comes to heat transfer projects. For this stem project, students will work together to design their very own insulated water bottle that keeps the contents of the water bottle nice and toasty warm. Students will need to test and assess which types of materials, as well as the thickness of those materials, are the best when it comes to maintaining the temperature of the water.

If you’d like to spice this activity up, try using hot chocolate instead of hot water. The process and learning lessons will remain the same, but class time will end with a tasty treat!

Save the Penguin Project

Save the Penguins is a series of three activities investigating the transfer and movement of thermal energy. Throughout the course of this three part lesson series, students will explore different types of energy conductors and insulators. They will observe how energy moves from areas of higher temperature to areas of lower temperature.

This project culminates in a hands-on stem activity, in which students will be asked to use the knowledge they’ve gained regarding the transfer of heat to design and build a shelter for penguins. Their penguin dwellings should, ideally, prevent the transfer of heat energy in order to effectively keep an ice cube from melting. Students are encouraged to experiment with different materials and record their observations.

Looking for additional resources to beef up your transfer of energy unit? Here are a few of my favorite resources that I’ve used within my own middle school science classroom. Check them out!

Let’s Stay Connected!

Continue the discussion in my Facebook Group for Middle School Science Teachers or my Classroom Management Facebook Group .

Or get free science resources delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for my newsletter! I promise to never be spammy. I’m just a regular teacher who likes helping teachers teach and students learn. 

Receive over 100 pages of FREE science resources immediately after signup!!

Related posts.

Tips for Teaching Multiple Preps

Classroom Management Strategies for Middle School Science Teachers

Science Topics to Review at the Beginning of the Year

STEMSCOPES V. DISCOVERY EDUCATION

Download ready to use resources now, follow me on.

Copyright © 2024 Laney Lee. All Rights Reserved.

• PRIVACY POLICY
• TERMS AND CONDITIONS
• REFUND POLICY

Admission for January 2023 Cohort Closing Soon

• Subject Choices
• Online Education
• University Admissions
• Student Stories
• How It Works?
• Enquire Now

Home » Blog » Science Experiments for Kids-Renewable Energy

Science Experiments for Kids-Renewable Energy

Do you think that energy experiments can only be conducted in labs? If so, you would be wrong. Your child’s journey as a scientist can begin with your help. The following  science projects for kids can be done at home .

• Solar Heated Tea

Candle Powered Windmill

Kinetic car, understanding acid rain, understanding the quality of air.

Tea is the most suitable drink to bond over. Yet, it is better when the brewing can educate your child. This science experiment uses components available in most homes. It teaches kids how solar energy works. While teaching how to prepare tea at the same time.

You will need

Fill the glass with water and add tea to it. Stir the mixture from time to time. Leave it in a place where the sun reaches the glass. Even though it is powerful as a source of energy, it requires time. After a couple of hours (depending on heat), the tea must be ready to serve.

Windmills are often observed in paintings and books. Your child can construct one. The science experiment requires parental supervision and takes up to an hour at home. Since fire is a component, ensure distance.

d) four candles

e) chart paper

Attach the stick to the surface using tape. Cut a circle of the chart paper and cut diagonal slits to create blades. Tilt the blades by a third. Draw a dot in the middle of this circle and make a hole in it. Attach the straw through a hole. Place the stick through the straw. Light the candles under the blades. keep adding to observe different speeds and reactions.

Playing is the dearest activity to children. This car ensures that playtime is educational. This science experiment teaches children about kinetic energy through toys. It requires around an hour to create.

b) two straws

c) three sticks

d) four plastic bottle caps

e) cardboard

f) a table fan

Stick a straw near the top edge of the cardboard using tape. Attach another straw to the bottom edge. Poke a hole into one of the bottle caps for the stick to fit. Slide the stick into the straw and attach another bottle cap to the other end. Repeat the same for the straw at the bottom edge. Poke two holes through a paper and attack another stick to create a sail to conduct wind. Stick it into the centre of the cardboard. Use the table fan to generate wind for the car to speed it up.

Acid rain and pollution are among the biggest problems today. Your child will understand the significance of clean water. This science experiment takes up to three days to complete. Throughout this process, items will be in water and acid for differing results.

a) two glass containers

b) two clips

c) two leaves

d) a boiled egg

Fill three-fourths of two containers with water and vinegar each. Mark the glass to know which is which. Divide the egg into two pieces after removing its shell, and add all three items into both containers. Observe over the days. The vinegar dissolves the material more than the water. The same can be seen over the days while conducting this science experiment at home.

Breathing is the most basic function. Pollution hampers it. Like the rain, the quality of air has corroded over time. This science experiment finds particles and pollutants to be closest to the child.

a) three cards

b) graph paper

d) petroleum gel

e) a string

f) magnifying glass

g) a calculator

h) a marker

i) a pencil

Cut graph paper to be smaller than the cards and glue the paper to the middle of the cards. Insert a layer of petroleum jelly on each of the paper stuck. Attach the string to each of the cards to hang in different locations around. The difference is in the air assessed over twenty-four hours or five days. The magnifying glass allows your child to observe particles on each square of the graph. They can count them to see which area had the best quality air and which has the worst.

Energy has become an expensive subject to learn for children. Recession makes access to such fields even more difficult. Yet, expensive equipment and labs are not needed to learn about these as is proven by these  science experiments for young scientists . Your child can learn with these science experiments at home. Moreover, you can use this opportunity to forge a special bond together.

Read our latest education blogs here. We are pioneers in proffering personalised, affordable and high-quality lessons using an advanced learning platform.

What are renewable sources of energy for kids?

Renewable sources of energy for kids include solar energy, wind energy, hydropower, geothermal energy, and biomass energy.

What are 3 interesting facts about renewable energy?

• Renewable energy sources do not produce greenhouse gas emissions or other air pollutants that harm the environment and human health.
• Renewable energy technologies are becoming more affordable and accessible, making them increasingly competitive with fossil fuels.
• Renewable energy can help to create jobs and stimulate economic growth in local communities.

What are the 7 main sources of renewable energy?

The 7 main sources of renewable energy are solar energy, wind energy, hydropower, geothermal energy, biomass energy, ocean energy, and hydrogen energy.

What is renewable energy?

Renewable energy is energy that comes from natural sources that can be replenished or regenerated, such as sunlight, wind, water, geothermal heat, and biomass.

Can water be renewable?

Water is not considered a renewable energy source, but it is a renewable resource because it is constantly replenished through the water cycle.

What are the examples of renewable resources?

Examples of renewable resources include sunlight, wind, water, geothermal heat, biomass, and tidal energy. These resources can be replenished or regenerated naturally, unlike non-renewable resources like fossil fuels.

Join Asia’s Leading Online School and Unlock endless opportunities

You may also want to read

Digital Classrooms: An Insight into the Future of Education

ICT in Education

7 Ways to Promote Lifelong Learning in Your Students

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Speak to Us

Get a call from the 21K School Advisor. Learn about the fee structure, admission process, International curriculum & more

Invalid value

Enter a value for this field.

Please ensure the number is reachable through WhatsApp and Normal calls

Select a choice

Select a choice.

Please select State

Please tick the box to confirm.

• Request a Callback

All rights reserved © 2024

Mindreflex Technologies Pte. Ltd.

Regd Address: 3 Phillip Street

#14-05 Royal Group Building

• How does it work?

• International
• Education Jobs
• Schools directory
• Resources Education Jobs Schools directory News Search

Generating electricty, power stations, geothermal energy

Subject: Physics

Age range: 11 - 16

Resource type: Worksheet/Activity

Last updated

12 October 2021

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Get this resource as part of a bundle and save up to 87%

A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

GCSE energy bundle (2019)

A huge set of resources to use with the KS4 Energy topic. Including a flipped learning presentation and activity,many calculation sheets, engaging magazine style activity, energy etc. Suitable for higher, foundation and SEND students.

AQA P1 Revision Resources

A bundle of 20 resources valued at £25, covering specific heat, thermal transfer, energy resources, energy stores and transfers, waves etc.

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This resource hasn't been reviewed yet

To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:

Thanks for reading Sooner Magazine . If you share your email address with us, we’ll let you know when our next issue is published.

Already a subscriber? Log in here.

Forgot your password? Send a reset.

• Beyond Drawing
• Giving Children Wings
• Starting a Bedside Revolution
• Queen of the Long Ball
• Houses of Glass

In Every Issue

• Sooner Nation
• The Big Idea
• Lest We Forget
• Sooner Shorts

How do you make a lot of deep holes in the ground useful again?

Bring up naturally heated water to provide renewable energy on the surface..

Retired oil and gas wells present something of a paradox to Saeed Salehi. To most people, the platforms sit idle because their work is finished—all accessible petroleum removed, leaving behind an empty hole. However, to the University of Oklahoma researcher and his partners, retired wells are full of untapped potential.

“We’ve been drilling for oil and gas for decades, leaving a lot of wells behind without considering how they can be productive in some other way,” says Salehi, an associate professor in OU’s Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy. “Now it seems obvious. The biggest surprise to me has been why it’s taken so long to reach this stage.”

The concept, as he explains it,  is simple enough to appreciate over a short coffee shop chat. The relationship between pressure, volume and thermal energy means the deeper a well is drilled into the planet, the higher the temperature. Water in that space—whether pumped there or occurring naturally—will be warmer. The heated water can be moved to the surface and captured for use while more water is moved down the hole to repeat the cycle.

In short, Salehi says, “Geothermal energy works like a car radiator, but down very deep.”

The trick is increasing the scale of that reverse-radiator model to prove its practicality and win over the public, says Brett Dawkins, co-founder of Blue Cedar Energy and a 1995 OU petroleum engineering graduate.

“Geothermal energy historically has been held back by high startup costs and uncertainty about drilling results. No one wants to spend a lot of money drilling, only to have the venture fail,” he says. 

That’s where a recent, $1.7 million U.S. Department of Energy grant comes into play, with additional assistance from Blue Cedar Energy, Baker Hughes Oilfield Services and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. 

Partnering with Runar Nygaard, Eberly Family Chair and director of OU’s Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering, Salehi and a team of graduate-student researchers will convert four retired oil wells in Tuttle, Okla., that are each about 10,000 feet deep to test the viability of geothermal production. The output hopefully will heat a Tuttle middle school and high school during the study’s second phase.

Dawkins and his Blue Cedar partner, 2006 OU energy management alum John Goss, say they were attracted to Salehi’s proposal because it aligns so well with cultural shifts and industry circumstances. 

By providing four already-drilled wells, Blue Cedar has helped Salehi’s team sidestep the price tag that’s been holding back geothermal industry development, Dawkins says.

The Tuttle site is not unique. According to Reuters news agency calculations, there are more than 29 million retired wells worldwide—already drilled and waiting to be put into use once more. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports the average depth of natural gas wells has been trending to about 7,000 feet.

OU petroleum engineering doctoral student and team member Cesar Vivas sees a future for himself in geothermal, wherever the current project might take him. 

“The world is changing, and I feel very fortunate to be part of this research. I can easily imagine working on this area of science for many years,” says Vivas, who received a 2021 OU master’s degree in petroleum engineering. “Science like this leads to new technologies and even jobs and lifestyle improvements. There’s so much practical potential to explore.”

He agrees with Dawkins’ observation that properly retrofit geothermal wells in Oklahoma also could help keep farmers’ and ranchers’ costs down, having a direct impact on food production.

When the project proves itself, he says, “Its fundamentals can be developed anywhere and run 24/7. And unlike some other renewables, geothermal doesn’t rely on sunny days for solar panels or windy days for air turbines.”

In a related line of research, Salehi and the student-led OU Sooners Geothermal Team recently won first place in a national collegiate competition organized by the U.S. Department of Energy. Their proposed system would repurpose abandoned oil and gas wells in Shawnee, Okla., to provide geothermal energy to public buildings, including sites for the Absentee Shawnee Tribe and Citizen Potawatomi Nation.

Dawkins says he was pleased to contribute Blue Cedar assets to the Tuttle geothermal project. The OU experiment might seem like a drop in the ocean, but Dawkins expects a resulting wave. In that sense, retired wells hold another kind of potential, he says—that of cultural change.

“We need to look closely at all forms of energy to meet our needs on this planet, and that means oil and gas have a place next to renewables like geothermal,” Dawkins says. “This project can show they’re not separate concepts, that they overlap and can work in conjunction with each other. It’s part of an answer to the question of how industry brings the best, least expensive, most accessible forms of energy to the consumer.”

Brian Brus is a freelance writer who lives in Edmond, Okla.

To comment on this story, click here .

Jewel Wurtzbaugh: Scholar, teacher, eccentric