Heat Engine Teacher Resources

How can heat power an engine? Scholars observe a heat engine working and control variables to determine the most efficient setup. They change the amount of heat input as well as the stroke length. Energy efficiency numbers prove the...

If you want, watch the video over and over again. The 11th installment of the Crash Course Engineering series focuses on cycles and repetition. It first reviews how heat engines work and applies the idea to heat pumps. It then explains...

See the direct relationship between pressure and temperature using these classic science toys. As individuals hold the glass bulb, the liquid inside reaches it's boiling temperature, which is just a bit above room temperature. As the...

Students research the development of the steam engines. In this US history lesson plan, students analyze the impact of this invention to civilization. They discuss the events leading to the growth and development of different cities.

How is solar energy able to move wind and water to control the climate? Scholars explore the concept of solar energy in the first of 10 activities in the Discover Your Changing World series. They follow instructions to build homemade...

Designed by School Power...NaturallySM, this lesson familiarizes advanced earth science and physics learners about the variables that affect our supply of solar energy. They examine gas spectra and perform calculations. There is an...

Learners investigate how solar energy is converted into heat in part two of the 10-part Discover Your Changing World series. They build and test homemade solar cookers to boil water and cook rice. Pupils consider the impact of heat...

Young scholars examine sea surface temperatures to see how hurricanes get heat from the oceans surface.  In this hurricanes lesson plan students use the Internet to find data and make line plots. 

Hurricanes are a destructive yet fascinating phenomenon. Individuals examine evidence that hurricanes use thermal energy from the ocean as they approach land. Learners use images, charts, and graphs to collect data and then draw...

Students become familiar with the variables that control Earth's solar energy supply. They explore the source and nature of solar energy, the genesis of radiation, and the structrue of the Sun, gas spectra are observed and sample...

Eighth graders examine the reasons for the growth of cities in North American. Using the internet, they research the causes and effects of the Industrial Revolution and determine if the growth of cities is a sign of progress. They...

Eleventh graders analyze and interpret an animated model of Earth’s rifting processes.  In this Earth Science lesson, 11th graders connect Earth’s rifting processes with the Earth’s surface in the Gettysburg battlefield. ...

The Carnot Cycle is the focus of this chemistry video. Carnot was a French engineer who proved that energy transfers happen in a cycle. They start and finish at the same pressure, volume, and temperature. A system that completes the...

The different types of heating systems are listed here with a few details about each type.  The four slides inform your students about the efficiency and efficacy of the heat engines and renewable sources of energy.  

Students conduct Internet research to track the path of Hurricane Rita. They record the sea surface temperature of the Gulf of Mexico during and after the hurricane and draw conclusions about how hurricanes extract heat energy from the...

Examine how heat can be transferred between systems by reconstructing a diagram on energy flow and solving problems on heat flow and work done.

If you have or want to order the dipping bird demonstration, it is useful for showing how evaporation and changes in the pressure of a closed system cause cyclical motion. After teaching about pressure, consider setting this little guy...

The 6 slides give a few examples of ways that we use heat and heating systems.  There is a diagram of circulation in a stove and forced air system as well as other examples of heat movers. Great for an introduction.

Are you looking for a reading resource about the efficiency of power systems? Here is one that introduces the output/input ratio, measurement of energy by joules or calories, and efficiency ratings. For STEM classes that are learning...

Students conduct a series of experiments on thermoelectricity. In this physics lesson, students investigate how thermocouple works. They determine the voltage generated when different conductive materials are held at different temperatures.

Young scholars investigate the concept of a thermodynamic system. The difference between a state and phase is defined as part of the experimental explanations given in writing. Students conduct experiments to demonstrate laws of science...

Students explain that heat energy in a material consists of the disordered motions of its atoms or molecules. They know and explain that transformations of energy usually transform some energy into the form of heat, which dissipates by...

Students define thermal equilibrium. They distinguish between internal energy and heat. Students describe how the quantity of heat that enters or leaves a substance is measured.

[Free Registration/Login Required] Having trouble understanding the energy transfer in heat engines? This simulation allows students to learn about the conversion of heat energy to mechanical energy in the context of heat engine.