Energy—How Things Work 5 Evs Chapter 7 CBSE Notes 2025-26

Energy is essential to everything that happens around us, from cooking food to running vehicles and lighting our homes. The Sun is a main source of energy, providing light and heat that support life on Earth. People, animals, and even plants need energy to move, grow, and survive. Everything we do, like walking, reading, or playing, uses energy in some form.

What is Energy? Energy is what makes things move, create sound, produce heat, or provide light. For example, in a kitchen, you can observe food being cooked, water being boiled, or lights being switched on. Each of these activities uses different kinds of energy, such as heat or electricity. We might not always notice it, but energy is present in all the actions happening around us.

Energy is often needed for movement, providing light, making sounds, cooling things down, or heating them up. The water we drink, the food we eat, and the light in our homes all come from different forms of energy.

Types of Energy and Where They Come From Living things mainly get their energy from food. When we eat, the food provides us the power we need to play, learn, or work. Similarly, animals use energy from their food to run, fly, or swim. Fuel is another source of energy. Just like humans use food for energy, vehicles like cars and buses use fuels such as petrol or diesel to move. Fuel is used in our homes, too—for example, cooking gas, wood, or coal for making food.

But burning fuel like wood and coal produces smoke and pollution, which can harm our environment and health. That is why, today, people are trying to use cleaner fuels and look for ways to save energy and reduce pollution.

Electricity is another important form of energy. We use it for fans, bulbs, TVs, and more. Many machines in factories also work on electricity. Some other sources include the Sun (solar energy), wind, and water. For example, solar panels can change sunlight into electricity, and windmills turn the force of moving air into electric power.

Hands-On Activities to Understand Energy Several simple activities can help us see how energy works. Blowing a balloon and releasing it shows how air can push and create movement. Making a rubber band guitar demonstrates how stretching and releasing bands create sound energy. Placing cups of water in sunlight and shade helps to observe how heat from sunlight warms water. Making things like pinwheels or water wheels can show how wind and water move and do work.

In many parts of India, people have created clever ways to use available energy. For example, cattle kept on the ground floor help keep homes warm in cold regions because of the heat they produce. In hilly areas, flowing water helps to turn watermills and grind grains.

Sources of Energy in Daily Life There are different sources of energy:

• Food: Supplies energy to people and animals.
• Fuels: Petrol, diesel, wood, coal, and cooking gas help in movement, cooking, and heating.
• Electricity: Runs various devices at home and in factories, helps in lighting, cooling, and more.
• Sun, wind, and water: These are natural sources that can be used to generate electricity and do work, like drying clothes or running windmills.

Safety While Using Energy While energy is useful, it is important to be careful, especially with electricity. Some basic precautions include not touching wires with wet hands, not inserting objects into sockets, and staying away from broken wires or open electric poles. If something seems dangerous or unsafe at home or school, an adult should be informed right away.

Clean Energy and Protecting the Environment Most electricity comes from burning coal, but this produces smoke and is harmful for air and health. Cleaner sources like sunlight, wind, and water are better because they do not pollute or produce harmful gases. For example, places like the Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan and Cochin International Airport in Kerala are using solar energy in a big way. The Sun is a constant provider of clean energy for the planet, giving more energy in one hour than what is consumed by all humans on Earth in a whole year.

Using natural energy sources wisely means we can make our lives better without spoiling the environment. Traditional Indian designs, such as thick walls and small windows, kept homes comfortable and reduced the need for extra cooling or heating.

Saving and Using Energy Efficiently We can save energy by using less of it for the same work. For example, LED bulbs use less power but give equal light compared to older bulbs. Other ways to save include reusing and recycling things and not wasting electricity by switching off devices when not in use.

Examples of Energy Use Here are some common examples:

• A child eats food and then plays: source of energy is food.
• A fan runs on electricity and moves air: source is electricity.
• Clothes dry in the Sun: source is solar heat energy.
• Vehicles run using petrol or diesel: source is fuel.
• Windmills turn wind energy into electricity: source is wind.

Fun with Energy: Games and Reflections Playing games like matching sources of energy to their uses helps better understand energy flow. Activities like making an ‘energy diary’ or designing a ‘clean energy home’ using solar or wind power make learning engaging. Thinking about what happens when there is no electricity for a day helps us realise its importance. Recognising the effort it takes to generate and use energy guides us to be more mindful and responsible.

All living beings and machines need energy in different forms. Using clean energy sources and being careful about saving energy makes our life better and the planet healthier.

Class 5 EVS Chapter 7 Notes – the World Around Us: Energy – How Things Work (NCERT Revision)

These CBSE Class 5 EVS Chapter 7 notes cover all key points on energy, its sources, and daily uses in simple language for easy revision. With clear examples and concise explanations, students can quickly grasp important concepts from "Energy – How Things Work". Strengthen your knowledge for exams and everyday learning by reviewing these focused revision points.

By using these NCERT-based revision notes for Class 5 EVS Chapter 7, you can understand the importance of clean energy, safe electricity use, and ways to save resources. The format and examples make it simple to build a strong foundation in science topics for school exams and real-world applications.