Types of Energy by Loera, Lisa

What is Energy?

155869_8 — 2024-02-09 18:59:09 UTC

Energy is being able to do work. All objects that have energy can do work. Energy interacts with objects and moves or changes them. All energy has Kinetic energy (energy of motion) or Potential energy (stored energy).

What is work?

Work is when you use force to move or change things.

There are several different types of energy which include thermal energy, electrical energy, sound energy, light energy, mechanical energy, chemical energy, and more.

Law of Conservation of Energy

155869_8 — 2024-02-12 22:40:46 UTC

The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can move. Even if energy transforms, transfers, or is used, the amount of energy stays the same from start to finish.

This law is proven in the following examples:

In bowling when the ball is thrown/released and it hits the pins, no energy is being lost but instead it is transferring to move the pins and make them fall down (Mechanical energy).

The sun releases light energy and that energy can then be used to help plants grow.

In all of these examples energy is neither lost nor created, but energy is transformed and transferred.

Energy Transfer

155869_8 — 2024-02-12 22:41:51 UTC

Energy transfer is when energy moves from one object to another or from one place (location) to another. During this the form of energy does not change.

Examples of Energy transfer include:

The sound energy from a radio transferring across a room.
Electrical energy moving through power lines.
The heat from an oven filling up the space inside and heating the food.

Energy Transformation

155869_8 — 2024-02-12 22:43:33 UTC

Energy Transformation is when one type of energy changes to another. Even though the Law of Conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can change from one form to another.

Examples:

A blender changes electrical energy to mechanical energy.
A toaster can changes electrical energy into thermal energy.
A car can changes chemical energy from gasoline to mechanical energy to help it move.
We use chemical energy or food to help us move, converting it to mechanical energy.
Plants convert light energy from the sun into chemical energy as their food source.

Sound Energy

155869_8 — 2024-02-12 22:46:21 UTC

Sound energy is energy which is carried through sounds waves.

What are sound waves?

Sound waves are longitudinal waves which travel through solids, liquids and gases (matter).

How is sound energy created?

Sound energy is created when an object vibrates. When objects vibrate they create sound waves. Those waves are sound energy.

Examples of sound energy:

Sounds produced by a radio.
Sounds produced by animals and people talking.
Sound from instruments (music).

Mechanical Energy

155869_8 — 2024-02-12 22:47:32 UTC

Mechanical energy is a type of energy that an object can have because of motion or its position. This type of energy is used to move, lift, and hold items.

Examples:

A bicycle in motion.
A hammer hitting a nail.
Kicking a soccer ball.
Skateboarding.
A moving car.

Electrical Energy

155869_8 — 2024-02-12 22:47:46 UTC

Electrical energy is carried by charged particles (electrons).

Stored electrical energy is formed when charged particles build up on an object. When charged particles move around it creates moving electrical energy (current electricity). Current electricity goes through a path that is called a circuit. When electrical devices are connected to the circuit, they can harness this type of energy.

Examples:

Charging an electrical car
Lightning
Wall outlets giving electrical energy to charge our phones and other electronic devices.

Light Energy (Radiant)

155869_8 — 2024-02-12 22:48:07 UTC

Light energy is carried by light and is visible to the human eye. Visible light is electromagnetic radiation. In addition, light energy is where most of our energy comes from as the sun produces light energy which is transformed to help fuel our world with other energy types.

Examples of light energy:

Infrared
Radio waves
UV light
X-rays
Light from light bulbs
Light from the sun

Chemical Energy

155869_8 — 2024-02-12 22:48:32 UTC

Chemical energy is a type of energy which is stored between the bonds of atoms. Chemical energy is used to keep atoms bonded together.

For example:

In the process of digesting food, it enters your body and the atoms are broken apart and chemical energy is released/revealed.

Thermal Energy

155869_8 — 2024-02-12 22:48:57 UTC

Thermal energy is the energy that has to due with temperature. The faster the atoms in matter vibrate the higher the temperature. The thermal energy of a substance is determined by the temperature and amount of matter in the substance.

Examples of thermal energy include:

Heat from a fire
Warmth from the sun
Heat from a heater
Baking in an oven
Heat from a toaster

Can Energy Change?

155869_8 — 2024-02-12 23:24:03 UTC

Energy can change from one type to another and can transfer through objects. For example, a plug in lamp converts electrical energy , to light energy, and a slight amount of thermal energy. This happens because the bulb heats up from producing light. This process shows how energy changes because the electrical energy did not just disappear and the light energy did not just appear. Instead the energy transformed.

Can Energy be Created or Destroyed?

155869_8 — 2024-02-12 23:24:18 UTC

Energy cannot be created or destroyed because of the law of conservation of energy. This means that energy will always be transformed or be transferred. Anything that appears otherwise, simply needs to be examined more closely.

Can an Object Transfer more than one Type of Energy?

155721_11 — 2024-02-13 23:14:46 UTC

It is possible for objects to transfer more than one type of energy. An example of this would be gasoline. Gasoline is made of chemical energy and is put into cars. Then, electrical energy comes from the battery and produces mechanical (kinetic) energy. Another example is a toaster as it has thermal energy to toast food, light energy let off by the buttons, mechanical energy when pushing or pulling levers or buttons, sound energy which is the pop sound that is produced when ready, and electrical energy as it’s plugged into a outlet.

How does Energy Flow in a System?

155869_8 — 2024-02-13 23:23:46 UTC

In this system the energy flows and goes from light energy, to electrical, and to thermal energy. The light energy comes from the sun and hits the solar panel which then converts it to electrical energy. After this the electrical energy travels through tube and converts to thermal energy as the water gets heated.