
Energy form
Energy form
Energy is what makes things move. Energy is all around us. It is like the fuel that makes cars move, or the energy (the power we have) to jump, run, play.
Imagine you are a little kitten. When you’re hungry, you run to your food bowl. To be able to run, you need energy. This energy comes to you and other living beings, from the food you eat.
There are different forms of energy as mechanical, thermal, gravitational, sound, elastic, light, and electromagnetic energy, but there are only two main types of energy:
- potential energy – this is stored energy. The energy that is waiting to be released. For example, a ball on top of a hill has potential energy. When you let it go, it turns into kinetic energy and starts rolling down.
- kinetic energy – this is moving energy. When you run, jump, or play with a ball, you use kinetic energy.
The forms of energy are often named after a related force. Any form of energy can be transformed into another form.
The main energy forms can be broadly categorized into two main types (potential and kinetic energy) and they are:
- Kinetic energy:
- radiant (light) energy – it is the energy that allows us to see. The sun emits light energy that reaches us and illuminates us.
- mechanical energy – it is like the force that makes things move or be willing to move. It consists of two types of energy: kinetic and potential energy.
- ionization energy – this is the force that is needed to “tear off” an electron from an atom. It’s like taking a toy out of a box, but on a much smaller scale.
- electrical energy – it’s the energy that keeps the lights on, the TV and the computer running. It comes from the movement of electrons.
- heat (thermal) energy – this is the energy we feel as heat. When you are near a fire, the heat you feel is thermal energy.
- energy of sound – it is a special energy that moves like waves. When something vibrates—like the strings of a guitar, or your vocal cords when you speak—it creates small waves in the air. These waves travel and reach our ears, where we perceive them as sound.
2. Potential energy:
- chemical energy – it’s the hidden power in food, batteries, even firewood. It is a special energy that is stored in the bonds between atoms. When we eat, food breaks down in our body and releases chemical energy that powers us to play, learn and grow.
- nuclear energy – it is the power hidden in the atoms. Nuclear power is like a superpower that can produce a lot of electricity. It is used in nuclear power plants to power our homes and factories.
- gravitational energy – it is the force that keeps us grounded. It causes all things to attract one another. It is inherent in all objects that have mass. The greater the mass of an object, the stronger its gravitational force.
- elastic energy – it is the energy that is stored in objects when they are stretched, shrunk, or otherwise deformed. When you apply a force to an elastic object (such as a rubber band, spring, or trampoline), you do work on it. This work is converted into elastic energy, which is stored in the object.…
All energy forms could be set as two type of energy – potential and kinetic energy.
These different forms of energy can be converted from one to another, but the total amount of energy in a closed system remains constant, as described by the law of conservation of energy.