It makes things happen!!

What is ENERGY? We have all heard the term energy, but what exactly is it? ENERGY is defined as “the ability to do work.” In simple terms, that means the ability to make things move by pushing or pulling on them.

The race car’s engine provides ENERGY to move the car.

And if the car breaks down, the man can use his own ENERGY to push his car.

Even the wind has ENERGY

Type of Energy There are two basic types of energy: Potential Energy, which is stored energy

And Kinetic Energy, which is the energy of motion.

Forms of Potential Energy (PE) There are many different forms of potential energy all around us. The books on your desk

and the food you ate for breakfast represent just a few forms of potential energy. All forms of potential energy have the stored ability to make matter move.

Gravitational Potential Energy Gravitational potential energy is the energy stored in an object because gravity is pulling on it. An apple hanging on a tree has gravitational potential energy because the pull of gravity makes the apple want to fall towards the earth.

The higher up the apple hangs and the bigger the apple is, the greater the gravitational potential energy it has.

Elastic or Stored Mechanical Energy Another way to store energy is to change an object’s shape. Pulling back a bow,

stretching a rubber band,

or compressing a spring are all examples of elastic, or stored mechanical energy.

The stored energy is then released when the arrow is shot, the rubber band snaps back into position, or the spring expands back to its original shape.

Chemical Potential Energy A third type of stored energy is chemical potential energy. This is a type of energy that is stored in the bonds that hold molecules and atoms together. Plants store the energy of the sun as starches and sugars in their cells through the process of photosynthesis. That’s why food provides us with the energy we need for life.

Natural gas, petroleum and biomass are also examples of chemical potential energy.

Nuclear Potential Energy Nuclear potential energy is the energy stored in the nucleus of an atom. Nuclear power plants release this energy when they split large atoms apart.

Forms of Kinetic Energy (KE) Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. Some kinetic energy is easy to observe, like when you see a truck moving down the highway or an airplane flying overhead. But other types of kinetic energy are harder to see.

Mechanical Energy, or the Energy of Motion The energy of an object in motion is called mechanical energy. The bigger objects are and the faster they move, the more mechanical energy they have.

Thermal Energy You might not know it, but an object’s temperature is really a measure of how fast its molecules are vibrating. As the molecules move faster and faster, solids melt into liquids, and liquids boil to become gases.

Electrical Energy Another kind of kinetic energy results from the movement of electrons. Everything in our world is made up of tiny particles called atoms. Atoms in turn are made of even smaller particles called protons, electrons, and neutrons.

When electrons move through a wire electricity is produced.

Sound Energy Sound is another type of kinetic energy. Sound is produced when something like a drum head

or a piano string starts to vibrate.

The vibrating string or drum head causes the air particles around it to begin moving. When the moving particles reach your ear, they causes your eardrums to vibrate. And your brain interprets these vibrations as sound.

Radiant Energy Radiant energy is also called electromagnetic energy. Radiant energy is the type of energy that travels in waves through space and it travels at the speed of light! Sunlight is an example of radiant energy.

So that’s a quick summary of what energy is. Next up…. Energy conversions!