Energy Transfer Worksheet

Press Print worksheet to match twelve energy transfer terms, from source and collision to electric current, to their meanings.

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NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.Energy transfer vocabularyenergyenergy transfersourcecollisionsoundlightheatelectric currentcircuitvibrationwavespeeda complete path that lets electriccharge flow in a loopwaves of energy that human eyescan detectcharge on the move along a wireor other pathenergy flowing out of somethinghot into something coldera ripple that travels and takesenergy along with itwhat we hear: waves thatvibrations send through matterthe thing or place that energycomes fromthe instant in which movingthings strike each othera rapid wobble to and fro, as of aplucked stringthe distance covered in each unitof timewhat it takes to move, heat orchange anythingenergy passing from one thing orplace to the next
NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.Energy transfer vocabularyAnswer keyenergyenergy transfersourcecollisionsoundlightheatelectric currentcircuitvibrationwavespeeda complete path that lets electriccharge flow in a loopwaves of energy that human eyescan detectcharge on the move along a wireor other pathenergy flowing out of somethinghot into something coldera ripple that travels and takesenergy along with itwhat we hear: waves thatvibrations send through matterthe thing or place that energycomes fromthe instant in which movingthings strike each othera rapid wobble to and fro, as of aplucked stringthe distance covered in each unitof timewhat it takes to move, heat orchange anythingenergy passing from one thing orplace to the next
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All 36 terms

Energy on the move 12

  • circuit A complete path that lets electric charge flow in a loop. A battery, two wires and a bulb joined in a loop make a circuit.
  • collision The instant in which moving things strike each other. In a collision, a rolling marble can pass energy to a marble that was at rest.
  • electric current Charge on the move along a wire or other path. An electric current in a wire carries energy from a battery to a bulb.
  • energy What it takes to move, heat or change anything. A rolling ball, a hot stove and a lit lamp all have energy.
  • energy transfer Energy passing from one thing or place to the next. When a bat hits a ball, energy passes from the bat to the ball.
  • heat Energy flowing out of something hot into something colder. Heat flows from a mug of hot cocoa into the hands that hold it.
  • light Waves of energy that human eyes can detect. Light from a lamp crosses a room and lets you read a page.
  • sound What we hear: waves that vibrations send through matter. A struck drum sends sound through the air to your ears.
  • source The thing or place that energy comes from. In a flashlight, the battery is the source of the energy.
  • speed The distance covered in each unit of time. An object with more speed has more energy of motion.
  • vibration A rapid wobble to and fro, as of a plucked string. The vibration of a guitar string makes the sound you hear.
  • wave A ripple that travels and takes energy along with it. A wave crossing a pond lifts a floating leaf as it goes by.
Show all 36 terms (24 more)

Kinds of energy 12

  • chemical energy Energy set free when substances react, as in burning. Food, fuel and batteries all store chemical energy.
  • elastic energy Energy kept in a stretched band or a squeezed spring. A drawn bow holds elastic energy until the archer lets go of the string.
  • electrical energy The energy that an electric current delivers. Electrical energy runs a toaster, a lamp and a phone charger.
  • gravitational energy Stored energy that grows as a thing is lifted higher. A sled at the top of a hill has more gravitational energy than the same sled at the bottom.
  • kinetic energy Energy of motion: faster or heavier means more. A bowling ball has more kinetic energy than a marble rolling at the same speed.
  • mechanical energy The sum of an object's motion energy and stored energy. A flying baseball has mechanical energy: kinetic from its speed and potential from its height.
  • motion The act of changing place; movement. A swinging door, a falling leaf and a running dog are all in motion.
  • nuclear energy The energy that binds the center of an atom together. Large amounts of nuclear energy are released when the nuclei of atoms split or join.
  • particle An atom, a molecule or another very tiny speck of matter. When a substance is heated, its particles move faster.
  • potential energy Stored energy of any kind, ready to be released. A stretched rubber band and a book on a high shelf both hold potential energy.
  • temperature A reading of hotness, given in degrees. A thermometer measures the temperature of the air in a room.
  • thermal energy Energy held in the ceaseless jiggle of tiny particles. A cup of hot water has more thermal energy than the same cup of cold water.

Changing energy 12

  • battery A device whose chemicals drive a current in a circuit. A battery turns stored chemical energy into electrical energy.
  • combustion A fuel joining with oxygen and releasing thermal energy. When wood burns in a fireplace, combustion turns chemical energy into thermal energy.
  • conservation of energy The rule that energy's total never goes up or down. Energy can move or change form, but it is never made and never destroyed.
  • energy transformation The turning of one kind of energy into another. A flashlight turns the chemical energy in its battery into light. Another name is energy conversion.
  • force A shove or a tug that one thing gives another. A kick is a force that sets a soccer ball moving.
  • friction A force that resists sliding and warms what rubs. The brakes of a bike use friction to slow the wheels, and the brakes get warm.
  • fuel Something burned or used up to supply energy. Wood, gasoline and natural gas are fuels.
  • generator A machine that makes electricity when its shaft is spun. A spinning turbine drives a generator to make electricity.
  • light bulb A lamp's glass part, lit from inside by a hot wire. A light bulb turns electrical energy into light and heat.
  • motor A machine that uses electricity to make something turn. The motor in a fan turns electrical energy into the spin of the blades.
  • solar cell A device that makes electricity when light falls on it. Many solar cells joined together make a solar panel.
  • turbine A bladed rotor that a moving gas or liquid sets spinning. Wind, flowing water and steam can each spin a turbine.

How this list was compiled: Term list chosen for this site on 2026-10-09. Each meaning is written in our own words and was checked that day against the English Wikipedia article on the term (https://en.wikipedia.org/), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license: Energy, Energy transformation, Collision, Sound, Light, Heat, Electric current, Electrical network (circuit), Vibration, Wave, Speed, Kinetic energy, Potential energy, Thermal energy, Chemical energy, Electrical energy, Mechanical energy, Gravitational energy, Elastic energy, Temperature, Motion, Particle, Conservation of energy, Force, Friction, Fuel, Electric battery, Electric generator, Electric motor, Solar cell, Turbine, Incandescent light bulb, Electric light and Combustion. Each was checked a second time against the entry for the term in Wiktionary, the free dictionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/), under the same license (source and nuclear energy rest on the dictionary sense), and the forms of energy and the law of conservation against two pages of the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Forms of energy (https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/what-is-energy/forms-of-energy.php) and Laws of energy (https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/what-is-energy/laws-of-energy.php). The example after each meaning is our own. Licence: own work

How it works

This energy transfer worksheet prints twelve terms down the left and their meanings, mixed up, down the right, with a key as the last page. It is a vocabulary sheet with no diagram to label. Two more sets cover kinds of energy and energy changes.

Read the full guide

The first set: energy on the move

Set opens on Energy on the move: the twelve words for energy that goes from place to place and from one object to the next.

Kinds of energy and energy changes

Kinds of energy prints kinetic, potential, thermal, chemical, electrical, mechanical, gravitational, elastic and nuclear energy with temperature, motion and particle. Changing energy has energy transformation, conservation of energy, force, friction, fuel, battery, generator, motor, solar cell, turbine, light bulb and combustion.

  • Conduction, convection and radiation are not in these sets. Your own term = meaning lines in the box print in place of ours.

Questions and answers

What is the difference between energy transfer and energy transformation?

In a transfer, energy passes from one object or place to another: a bat passes energy to a ball. In a transformation, energy changes form: a flashlight turns the chemical energy in its battery into light.

What are examples of energy transfer?

A rolling marble passes energy to a second marble in a collision. Heat flows from a hot mug into the hands around it. An electric current carries energy from a battery to a bulb, and sound carries it from a drum to your ears.

Is this an energy transfer worksheet for 4th grade or 5th grade?

The sheet names no grade. It opens on source, collision, sound, light, heat and electric current. The other two sets go on to kinetic and potential energy, energy transformation and the conservation of energy, so a class prints the set its unit has reached.

Is there a transfer of energy worksheet with answers?

Yes. The key is the same sheet with a line drawn from each term to its meaning.

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