1. Energy Basics

2. Energy The ability to do work or cause change
Either potential or kinetic

3. Potential Energy
Energy that is stored. The snow on the mountain top represents potential energy.

4. Potential Energy
Potential energy is highest when the object is at a higher point, like this roller coaster on the top of a hill. The higher the hill the greater the potential energy.

5. Potential Energy
The more mass something has the greater its potential energy. In the picture below the man holding the weight above his head is holding a lot of potential energy.

6. Kinetic Energy
The energy of motion

7. Kinetic Energy
The faster the motion the greater the kinetic energy. When the roller coaster starts down the hill it has kinetic energy. The point where the car is going the fastest is where the kinetic energy is the greatest.

8. Forms of Energy Energy can be found in many forms
Can be converted from one form or another
Conversion can be both man made and a natural process
Forms include chemical, thermal, elastic, radiant, mechanical and nuclear.

9. Chemical Energy
Stored in chemical bonds holding the atoms of compounds together
Food, wood, batteries, fossil fuels

10. Chemical Energy When a chemical reaction takes place energy is used.
If energy is pulled in from the surrounding area during a chemical reaction, the area gets cold and the reaction is endothermic.
Commercial ice packs for injuries work this way.

11. Chemical Energy
When a chemical reaction takes place and releases energy it can increase the temperature. We call this an exothermic reaction.

12. Chemical Energy
Plants can make their own energy through a process called photosynthesis. They are the bases for a food chain. All other living things that cannot carry on photosynthesis depend on plants for their energy.

13. Energy Transformation
In photosynthesis radiant or light energy from the sun is changed to chemical energy in the leaf.

14. Chemical Energy
Other living things can get energy from eating plants or eating things that eat plants.

15. Chemical Energy
The energy we eat is stored as potential chemical energy until we need it. When we use the energy through an activity then it becomes kinetic mechanical energy.

16. Chemical Energy
Plants make food through the process of photosynthesis. When we use the energy from the chemical energy we store we break it down through a process called respiration. These are opposite energy reactions.

17. Electrical Energy Energy of moving electrons Invisible but most useful
form
When the electrons are
separated from positive
charges and then forced
along a closed path in
a conduction material
ex: copper

18. Energy Transformation
Electrical energy can come from many different sources. The sources can be solar, nuclear, mechanical or generally chemical. In Texas most of our electricity comes from the burning of the coal, lignite. The energy transformation that takes place would be:
Lignite (chemical)->moving turbines (mechanical)->moving electrons (electrical)-> our homes

19. Mechanical Energy
Most familiar-involved with moving objects; atoms are moving and pushing each other
Sound is an example-occurs when atoms in a media vibrate in a direction outward from the sound source. Sometimes, sound is classified as its own energy source.

20. Mechanical Energy
When we move or work we are using mechanical energy.

21. Energy Transformations
Automobiles use chemical energy (fossil fuels) which is converted to mechanical energy when they move.

22. Radiant or Light Energy
Produced when atoms absorb energy from an outside source and release energy as electromagnetic radiation
Most are invisible except for visible light
UV rays, X-rays, radio waves

23. Radiant or Light Energy
Our ultimate energy source is radiant energy from the sun.

24. Radiant or Light Energy
In a light stick you have chemical energy stored in the vial. When you bend the stick and break it then light energy is released.

25. Radiant or Light Energy
We use light energy in our homes.
Many people have switched to compact fluorescent light bulbs over other light bulbs (incandescent) because they do not put out as much heat (thermal energy). The compact florescent bulbs are more energy efficient so they help in energy conservation.

26. Thermal Energy A special form of kinetic energy
Energy of moving or vibrating molecules
The faster the molecules vibrate the hotter they become
When heat is produced we have thermal energy.

27. Thermal Energy
Volcanoes can be a natural source of thermal energy. When we use the heat of the earth it is called geothermal energy.

28. Thermal Energy Two main types:
Conduction
Convection
Conduction is heat resulting from the collision of particles
Works best through solids, especially metals!
Metals are Conductors and materials like wood and plastic are Insulators

29. Thermal Energy
Thermal energy that is transferred through fluids, such as liquids and gases, is called Convection
When a liquid or gas is heated, it expands and its density decreases
Cooler denser fluids moves in under the heated fluid and pushes it upward
This is why we say “Heat Rises”

30. Elastic Energy
Energy stored in a solid object when it is either stretched or compressed.
A stretched rubber band, compressed spring or jack-in-the-box

31. Nuclear Energy Energy stored in the nuclei of atoms
Released by fission, the splitting of nuclei of heavy atoms
Released by fusion-the combining of nuclei of light atoms

32. Nuclear Energy
Einstein predicted the energy in a nuclear reaction before we had even split the atom in his famous equation:
E = m c2
E=energy, m = mass and c2 is the speed of light. He is basically saying if we take the mass of an object and multiply it by the speed of light that will tell us how much energy it contains. This did not make a lot of sense at the time.

33. Nuclear Energy
When the energy released from the splitting of an atom was discovered this made the equation make sense. There is an infinite amount of power in nuclear energy. This is what powers stars like our sun. Hydrogen is turned into helium. This process will continue until our sun runs out of hydrogen. This will be in about 4 billion years.

34. Nuclear Energy
We are trying to harvest the power of the atom when we use nuclear energy.

35. Energy Basics There are many issues involved with energy.
Renewable vs. Nonrenewable
Energy Conservation
Environmental Concerns
Pollution
These are just a few of the things you can study when studying energy.