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  • The activity requires students to reflect on their understanding of the science ideas represented in the diagram and consider how the representation supports them to understand these ideas through its use of scientific conventions and terms.

    By the end of this activity, students should be able to:

    • identify the key science ideas in a scientific diagram
    • describe how the diagram supports the science ideas through its use of scientific conventions and terms
    • use information from the scientific diagram to identify the key science ideas
    • write a scientific explanation of how a heat pump1 works using the key science ideas represented in the diagram.
    Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

    Basic heat pump cycle

    On the evaporator side of the heat pump, heat energy is taken in, converting the working fluid into gas. The condenser side liquefies the gas, releasing heat energy to the surroundings as the gas condenses back to liquid.

    Download the Word file (see link below) for:

    • introduction/background notes
    • what you need
    • what to do
    • extension idea
    • student handout.

    Nature of Science

    Scientists use a range of conventions to represent scientific ideas, and students need to be conversant with these to make meaning of this information. As part of the development of student ability to communicate in science, teaching and learning must expose students to a range of scientific representations.

    Related content

    Discover more about how heat2 pumps function in the article Heat pumps and energy transfer.

    Learn about the research undertaken by Dr Eric Scharpf​ dealing with heat pump efficiencies used in the timber industry.

    Useful link

    Find out more about the science capabilities on TKI.

    1. heat pump: A device that can move heat energy either into (heating) or out of (cooling) an enclosed space such as a house. For example, a household heat pump, when placed in heating mode, transfers heat energy present in the cold outside air to the warm inside air.
    2. heat energy (heat): Heat energy: the transfer of energy in materials from the random movement of the particles in that material. The greater the random movement of particles the more heat energy the material has. Temperature is a measure of the heat energy of a material.
      Heat: the flow of energy from a warm object to a cooler object.
    Published 9 June 2015 Referencing Hub articles
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        heat pump

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      2. A device that can move heat energy either into (heating) or out of (cooling) an enclosed space such as a house. For example, a household heat pump, when placed in heating mode, transfers heat energy present in the cold outside air to the warm inside air.

        heat energy (heat)

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      4. Heat energy: the transfer of energy in materials from the random movement of the particles in that material. The greater the random movement of particles the more heat energy the material has. Temperature is a measure of the heat energy of a material.
        Heat: the flow of energy from a warm object to a cooler object.