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| Energy is the capacity of a physical system to perform work. |
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| Kinetic energy is the energy of motion, observable as the movement of an object, particle, or set of particles. Any object in motion is using kinetic energy: a person walking, a thrown baseball, a crumb falling from a table, and a charged particle in an electric field are all examples of kinetic energy at work |
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| Potential energy is energy stored in an object. This energy has the potential to do work. |
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| Elastic potential energy is Potential energy stored as a result of deformation of an elastic object, such as the stretching of a spring. It is equal to the work done to stretch the spring. |
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| Gravitational potential energy |
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Definition
| Gravitational energy is the potential energy associated with gravitational force. If an object falls from one point to another point inside a gravitational field, the force of gravity will do positive work on the object, and the gravitational potential energy will decrease by the same amount. |
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| Mechanical energy is the energy that is possessed by an object due to its motion or due to its position. Mechanical energy can be either kinetic energy (energy of motion) or potential energy (stored energy of position). Objects have mechanical energy if they are in motion and/or if they are at some position relative to a zero potential energy position (for example, a brick held at a vertical position above the ground or zero height position). A moving car possesses mechanical energy due to its motion (kinetic energy). A moving baseball possesses mechanical energy due to both its high speed (kinetic energy) and its vertical position above the ground (gravitational potential energy). A World Civilization book at rest on the top shelf of a locker possesses mechanical energy due to its vertical position above the ground (gravitational potential energy). |
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| Thermal energy is generated and measured by heat of any kind. It is caused by the increased activity or velocity of molecules in a substance, which in turn causes temperature to rise accordingly. There are many natural sources of thermal energy on Earth, making it an important component of alternative energy. |
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| Chemical energy is the result of atoms and molecules interacting. This is the most used energy around us. It can be found in batteries, food, and plants. |
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| Electrical energy is the presence and flow of an electric charge. The energy portion of electricity is found in a variety of phenomena such as static electricity, electromagnetic fields and lightning. Humans have found the ability to harness these phenomena and store the electrical charge for later use. |
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| Sound energy is the energy produced by sound vibrations as they travel through a specific medium. Sound energy is typically not used for electrical power or for other human energy needs because the amount of energy that can be gained from sound is quite small. |
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| Light Energy is the movement of photons. All life on Earth is dependent on light energy from the Sun (major source of energy). Other examples of light energy include radio waves (AM, FM, TV), microwaves, X-rays and plant growth. Active solar energy uses photovoltaic panels and light to turn light energy into chemical energy. |
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| Energy created by changes in the nucleus of an atom. |
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| energy conversion is the conversion of one type of energy into another. We use this principle all the time every day. For instance, we use chemical energy in a battery to create electrical energy to power an electric starter motor. This motor uses the electrical energy to create mechanical energy to start a vehicle. The vehicle converts chemical energy into mechanical energy to make the vehicle go. |
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| A group of objects that only transfer energy to each other. |
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| Friction energy is a force. It is a force that slows motion and dampens energy. When wind blows through a tree the tree impedes the wind flow. This causes the wind to slow down. Friction releases some of the energy. This release can be in the form of noise, vibration, and energy transfer. When the wind hits the tree you can hear the noise of the wind blowing through the leaves and branches and you can see the movement of the leaves and branches. Some of the energy the wind had is transferred into moving the tree. |
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| Law of conservation of energy |
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Definition
| The law of conservation of energy states that energy may neither be created nor destroyed. Therefore the sum of all the energies in the system is a constant. The most commonly used example is the pendulum. |
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Definition
| Energy efficiency is "using less energy to provide the same service". |
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