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Energy — How Things Work – Class 5 The World Around Us Chapter 7 Notes & NCERT PDF

Class 5The World Around UsChapter 7NCERT book: Our Wondrous World - EVS Class 5

Notes and a simple summary of Chapter 7 of the NCERT Class 5 The World Around Us book, with the official chapter PDF, flashcards, an MCQ quiz and an AI tutor for your doubts.

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Chapter 7: Energy — How Things Work

Introduction

The chapter begins in a kitchen. Food is cooking, a fan is spinning, a light is on, a pressure cooker whistles. We are asked to write what we observe and what we wonder – for example, "The food is getting cooked. How is it being cooked?" All around us things move, light up, make sound, get hot or get cold. Something makes all this happen – we call it energy.

Energy is what makes things move, light up, produce sound, do work and change temperature.

What We Learn

1. Playing with energy

  • Moving air: When air rushes out of a balloon, it pushes the balloon forward. A balloon air rocket on a string shows how moving air gives energy.
  • Sound energy: Plucking rubber bands stretched over a box makes them vibrate and produce sound (rubber band guitar). Thicker and thinner bands sound different.
  • Heat energy from the Sun: A cup of water kept in sunlight becomes warmer than one kept in shade.
  • In the cold hills of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Ladakh, cattle are kept on the ground floor so their body heat warms the family's rooms above.

    • 2. Sources of energy

  • Food – We can jump and run because food gives us energy. Animals also get energy from food. Food is a source of energy for all living things. Even our brain uses energy while we sleep!
  • Fuel – Petrol and diesel are the "food" of vehicles. Cooking gas, wood and coal are fuels used at home. Burning wood or coal creates smoke and pollution.
  • In the diya activity, a diya with only a wick goes out quickly, but a diya with oil burns longer. The oil is the fuel.
  • Electricity – Fans, lights, TVs and machines run on electricity. It can give movement, sound, light and heat. Industries use it to make clothes, toys, books and vehicles.

    • 3. Safe use of electricity

  • Do not touch wires or plugged-in devices.
  • Never put fingers, pens or sticks into sockets.
  • Stay away from broken wires and fallen electric poles – tell an adult.
  • Do not play near electric boxes or transformers.

    • 4. Energy efficiency

    Using less energy to do the same work. LED bulbs give the same light as old bulbs but use less electricity.

    5. Energy from the Sun, wind and water

  • Most electricity comes from burning coal, which pollutes the air.
  • Pinwheel (Activity 6): wind makes it spin – wind energy.
  • Sunlight in focus (Activity 7): a magnifying glass focuses sunlight and can burn paper – done only with an adult.
  • Water wheel (Activity 8): pouring water on a paper cup with spoons makes it turn.
  • In hills, gharaats (watermills) use flowing water to grind grain. Old sailing ships from Gujarat and Tamil Nadu used wind to reach Africa, Arabia and Southeast Asia.
  • Solar panels, windmills and flowing water can make electricity. This is called clean energy because it does not pollute with smoke or waste.
  • The Bhadla Solar Park (Rajasthan) is one of the world's largest solar plants; Cochin Airport (Kerala) is the world's first fully solar-powered airport.

    • 6. Stored energy

    Our body stores energy, so we can run even if we skip a meal. Batteries also store energy.

    The Sun is the main source of energy for life on Earth.

    Activities in the Chapter

  • Balloon rocket, rubber band guitar, sun-powered water warmer
  • Diya fuel experiment, electricity survey table (Fan → blows air → movement)
  • Pinwheel, sunlight in focus, water wheel
  • Energy Flow Game: match source → type → use, e.g. Sun → Heat → dries clothes, Wind → Movement → turns a turbine

    • Key Words

  • Energy (ऊर्जा) – what makes things move, light up, make sound or change temperature
  • Fuel (ईंधन) – something burnt to get energy (oil, gas, petrol, wood)
  • Electricity (बिजली)
  • Vibrate (कंपन करना) – move quickly back and forth
  • Heat energy (ऊष्मा ऊर्जा), Sound energy (ध्वनि ऊर्जा)
  • Pollution (प्रदूषण)
  • Clean energy (स्वच्छ ऊर्जा) – from Sun, wind or water, no smoke
  • Solar panel (सौर पैनल), Windmill (पवनचक्की)
  • Gharaat (घराट) – traditional watermill
  • Energy efficiency (ऊर्जा दक्षता)
  • Battery (बैटरी) – stores energy

    • Connect to Your Life

    Keep an "energy diary" for one day. How many times did you use electricity or fuel? What is one thing you can do to save energy – switching off fans and lights, using LED bulbs, drying clothes in the sun?

    Common Mix-ups

  • The wick is not the fuel in a diya – the oil is.
  • Electricity is not a "clean" source by itself – it is clean only when made from Sun, wind or water, not coal.
  • Energy is used even when we sit still or sleep.

    • Let Us Reflect (exercise hints)

  • Why use solar or wind instead of coal? – They do not create smoke or harmful gases and will not run out.
  • Examples of stored energy: our body, batteries in a torch or toy.
  • Objects and energy source: Fan → electricity; car → petrol/diesel; our body → food; clothes drying → Sun.

    • 💡 Key Learning Points

    • ✓Energy is what makes things move, light up, produce sound, do work and change temperature.
    • ✓Food is the source of energy for living things; fuels like petrol, gas, oil and wood are sources for vehicles and cooking.
    • ✓Electricity can give movement, sound, light and heat, but must be used safely.
    • ✓The Sun, wind and flowing water give clean energy that does not pollute, unlike burning coal.
    • ✓Energy can be stored (in our body, in batteries) and should be used wisely, e.g. with LED bulbs.

    👨‍🏫 Teaching Tips

    • →Start with the kitchen 'I Observe / I Wonder' table to draw out students' own questions.
    • →Do the balloon air rocket along a string across the classroom – let groups race balloons.
    • →Make rubber band guitars and compare sounds of thick and thin bands.
    • →Demonstrate the two-diya experiment yourself, with students observing from a safe distance.
    • →Make pinwheels and water wheels in groups; test them outside.
    • →Play the Energy Flow Game (source → type → use) as a closing activity.
    • →Do the magnifying glass activity only as a teacher demonstration, stressing safety.
    • →Walk through the electrical safety rules and ask students to make a safety poster.

    📋 Assessment Questions

    1. Can the student define energy and give three examples of energy at work at home?
    2. Can the student name the fuel in the diya experiment and explain why that diya burns longer?
    3. Can the student list at least three electrical safety rules?
    4. Can the student explain what clean energy is and give three clean sources?
    5. Can the student match a source, type and use (e.g. Sun → heat → drying clothes)?

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    Keep learning

    All chapters in Our Wondrous World - EVS Class 5

    1. 1. Water — The Essence of Life
    2. 2. Journey of a River
    3. 3. The Mystery of Food
    4. 4. Our School — A Happy Place
    5. 5. Our Vibrant Country
    6. 6. Some Unique Places
    7. 7. Energy — How Things Work
    8. 8. Clothes — How Things are Made
    9. 9. Rhythms of Nature
    10. 10. Earth — Our Shared Home