Energy in Everyday Objects and Routines

Approximate completion time: 55 min

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will:

• Explain how energy affects everyday objects and routines in your life.
• Investigate the why renewables are intermittent energy sources.
• Evaluate how physics makes some energy sources unreliable.
• Persuade peers or family about why America needs Affordable, Reliable, and Clean energy.

Part 1: Energy and Illusions

1. Read

Think about your phone, your laptop, your running shoes, even the clean water that pours from your faucet. Every one of those things depends on energy. It’s not just about lights turning on or your Wi-Fi working—it’s about your entire lifestyle and your future.

Politicians argue about energy in Washington, but the truth is: energy decisions today shape your opportunities tomorrow. Affordable energy determines whether you can afford groceries, whether your city has reliable clean water, and even whether your future job in tech, AI, or biotech will exist.

Reliable energy keeps your data safe in the cloud, powers your school, and ensures hospitals and first responders are always online. Secure energy ensures America isn’t at the mercy of foreign governments for something as basic as heating our homes.

We’ve been told the future will be powered by “free” sun and wind. But, there’s a catch: it’s called physics. Energy sources must be:

• Affordable – Prices stay low for everyone.
• Reliable & Scalable – Lights always come on and there is enough energy to power 330 million Americans, not just a few small towns.
• Clean – Environmentally clean enough to power your life at the lowest risk possible to your environment.

This is why America’s energy history—from coal to oil to natural gas—matters to your personal future. Your future depends on whether you understand energy as more than just politics—energy is your everyday life.

2. Think

What kind of energy was required to make your smartphone and a pair of your sneakers? 

3. Imagine

Now, close your eyes and imagine a blackout lasting one week—no internet, no AC, no water pumps. What part of your daily routine would collapse first?

4. Watch

Part 2: Can We Rely on Wind and Solar? 

1. Watch – Energy Source Limitations 

• Are alternatives as clean as we are told? 
• Let’s look at why alternative energy sources may be less than ideal.

Before watching the following video, give your best answer to the following questions. 

Now that you’ve seen the video, see how your pre-viewing answers match up to your post-viewing answers 

Part 3: How Physics Limits the Intermittent Power of Solar & Wind Available to You
and Your Everyday Objects and Routines

1. Read and Notate

Here are some facts about energy sources we call “intermittent.” Read through them make some notes about things you can research on your own to learn more.

1. Energy Spread Out = Low Power
   • The sun and wind give us free energy, but it’s weak and spread out. 
   • To power America’s needs, you’d need fields of solar panels bigger than states or wind farms stretching for miles. 
2. They Don’t Show Up 24/7
   • The sun sets every night. Clouds block sunlight. Wind can stop for days. 
   • Physics = you can’t force the sun to shine or the wind to blow. That means power isn’t always there when you need it for your life. 
3. Batteries Can’t Save the Day (Yet or for many, many years)
   • Your iPhone battery can run TikTok for hours, but imagine storing enough energy for every house, every hospital, every data center in America? Can’t happen. 
   • Physics limits how much energy batteries can hold. Right now, they can only cover short gaps, not days or weeks. And they are not close to supplying Americas daily energy needs. 
4. Distance = Energy Loss
   • The windiest places (like the Great Plains) and sunniest spots (deserts) are far from big cities where most people live and the energy demands are greatest. 
   • Electricity leaks energy when traveling long distances, like water dripping from a leaky hose. So even if we figure out how to collect intermittent energy more efficiently, it may never get to your house where it’s needed. 
5. Consistency is Key
   • Nuclear and natural gas plants run almost 90% of the time. 
   • Wind runs about 30% and solar about 20%. 
   • That’s like expecting your Wi-Fi to only work part of the day—it doesn’t fit how you live or how your family lives and works. 

Bottom Line 

Physics makes solar and wind great helpers, but not the main players. They can’t give us the always-on, high-power energy you and America needs for charging iPhones, running TikTok servers, keeping hospitals lit, and blasting AC in the summer. 

2. Activity

Think 

Imagine it’s a hot summer night. Your AC is running, your phone is charging, and you’re streaming Netflix. Now—imagine the wind stops blowing and the sun is down. Where does your power come from? 

Pair 

Discuss with a partner/family member or write in your notebook if solo, how life would change if power cut out every time the sun set or wind slowed. What everyday routines would stop first? 

Share 

Share and compare ideas with your partner/teacher/family member. Highlight how much of daily life depends on steady, 24/7 energy. 

Watch 

3. Test your knowledge