ENERGY
Energy Energy is the ability to do work.
Kinetic Energy The energy of motion. The amount of kinetic energy a moving object has depends on its speed and mass. The faster something is moving, the more kinetic energy it has.
Potential Energy The energy that an object has because of its position or shape. This rubber band has potential energy until it is flipped and then it has kinetic energy.
Forms of Energy All energy involves either motion or position. Energy comes in several different forms: thermal (heat) energy, chemical energy, electrical energy, sound energy, light (radiant) energy, and nuclear energy.
Gravitational Energy Energy an object or substance has because of it’s position. Ex, An apple hanging from a tree.
Stored Mechanical Energy Energy stored in an object by the application of force. Must push or pull on an object. Ex, stretching a rubber band, a pin ball machine, compressing a slinky.
Nuclear Energy Nuclear Energy is the energy caused by changes in the nucleus of an atom. An atom is the smallest particle into which an element can be divided and still remain that element.
Nuclear Energy Nuclear energy can be created from the splitting of atoms (which store a lot of potential energy) and can be used to create electrical energy at nuclear power plants.
Nuclear Energy
Chemical Energy Chemical energy is the energy stored in a substance that can be released when the substance reacts during a chemical reaction. Ex. When wood is burned, chemical energy is released.
Electrical Energy Electrical energy is the energy of moving electrons. Ex. when you plug in the radio, the electrons begin to move, energy is transferred to different parts of the radio and sound is produced.
Sound Energy Sound energy is caused by an objects vibrations. Ex. when a guitar string vibrates, energy is transferred from the moving string to the air particles around it which transmit it from particle to particle producing sound.
Sound Energy
Radiant (Light) Energy Light energy is cause by the vibrations of electrically charged particles. Not all light can be seen – such as the light energy used to cook food in a microwave oven.
Thermal Energy Thermal energy is the heat energy that is created from moving particles. The faster the particles move, the more kinetic energy they have and the greater the object’s thermal (heat) energy is.
Thermal Energy Particles of a substance that are father apart have more energy than particles of the same substance that are closer together. Thermal energy depends on the number of particles in a substance.
Law of Conservation of Energy Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it is only changed into another form of energy.
Energy Transformation An energy transformation is a change from one form of energy to another. This can also be called an energy conversion. Any form of energy can be changed into any other form. Often, one form of energy is changed into more than one form.
Energy Transformation Example: Electrical Electrical Sound and Light
Energy Efficiency Compares the amount of energy before a conversion with the amount of useful energy after the transformation.
Mechanical Energy Mechanical Energy is the sum of an object’s potential and kinetic energy. Ex. A swinging pendulum’s mechanical energy is all kinetic (KE) at the bottom of its swing and all potential (PE) at the top of its swing.
Energy Transformation Kinetic vs. Potential
Energy Transformation The water behind the Hoover Dam has energy (Potential) because of its position relative to the planet earth, which is attracting it with a gravitational force. Letting water down to the bottom of the dam converts that energy into energy of motion (Kinetic). When the water reaches the bottom of the dam, it hits turbine blades that drive generators, and its energy of motion is converted into electrical energy.
Energy Transformation