Science and Technology

Grade 7: Energy and Control: Heat	Achievement Level
Overall Expectations	1	2	3	4
•demonstrate understanding that heat is a result of molecular motion;
•identify, through experimentation, ways in which heat changes substances, and describe how heat is transferred;
•explain how the characteristics and properties of heat can be used, and identify the effect of some of these applications on products, systems, and living things in the natural and human-made environments.
Specific Expectations
Understanding Basic Concepts
•distinguish between the concept of temperature and the concept of heat (e.g., temperature is a measure of the average kinetic energy of the molecules in a substance; heat is thermal energy that is transferred from one substance to another);
•compare the motions of particles in a solid, a liquid, and a gas using the particle theory;
•explain how heat is transmitted by conduction, convection, and radiation in solids, liquids, and gases (e.g., conduction: a pot heating on a stove; convection: a liquid heating in the pot; radiation: the air being warmed by heat from the element);
•describe how various surfaces absorb radiant heat;
•describe the effect of heating and cooling on the volume of a solid, a liquid, and a gas;
•investigate and identify factors affecting the rate of temperature change (e.g., mass, nature of liquid) using a constant heat source;
•describe the effect of heat on the motion of particles and explain how changes of state occur (e.g., from a liquid into a gas or vapour);
•compare, in qualitative terms, the heat capacities of common materials (e.g., water and aluminum have greater heat capacities than sand and Pyrex);
•identify systems that are controlled by sensory inputs and feedbacks (e.g., a thermostat);
•design and build a device that minimizes energy transfer (e.g., an incubator, a Thermos flask).
Developing Skills of Inquiry, Design, and Communication
•formulate questions about and identify needs and problems related to heat (e.g., interactions involving energy transfers), and explore possible answers and solutions (e.g., identify the steps that could be followed to test the effectiveness of the heating system in a home that uses solar energy);
•plan investigations for some of these answers and solutions, identifying variables that need to be held constant to ensure a fair test and identifying criteria for assessing solutions;
•use appropriate vocabulary, including correct science and technology terminology, to communicate ideas, procedures, and results (e.g., state the boiling and freezing points of water, room temperature, and body temperature in degrees Celsius; correctly use the terms heat conductor and heat insulator);
•compile qualitative and quantitative data gathered through investigation in order to record and present results, using diagrams, flow charts, frequency tables, bar graphs, line graphs, and stem-and-leaf plots produced by hand or with a computer (e.g., plot a graph showing the decrease in temperature of various liquids from identical initial temperatures);
•communicate the procedures and results of investigations for specific purposes and to specific audiences, using media works, written notes and descriptions, charts, graphs, drawings, and oral presentations (e.g., use a diagram to illustrate convection in a liquid or a gas).
Relating Science and Technology to the World Outside the School
•recognize heat as a necessity for the survival of plants and animals;
•explain how the heating and cooling of the earth’s surface produces air movement that results in all weather effects (e.g., convection currents);
•describe the water cycle as a process of energy transfer involving convection and radiation;
•identify different forms of energy that can be transformed into heat energy (e.g., mechanical, chemical, nuclear, or electrical energy);
•explain how mechanical systems produce heat (e.g., by friction), and describe ways to make these systems more efficient (e.g., by lubrication);
•describe and explain issues related to heat pollution, including both positive and negative aspects (e.g., industrial processes and generation of electricity cause heat pollution of large bodies of water);
•explain why heat energy is considered to be the final or end form of energy transformation;
•identify the purpose of the specialized features of various instruments that are used to measure temperature (e.g., temperature probes provide accurate continuous readings);
•identify and describe steps that can be taken to conserve energy (e.g., using insulation) and the reasons for doing so (e.g., rising fuel costs);
•identify the components of a system that are designed to transfer heat energy (e.g., in a room, a house, or a shopping centre) and describe methods for conserving energy within that system.
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 Expectations: Copyright The Queen's Printer for Ontario, 1998.  Format: Copyright B.Phillips, 1998.