Forms of energy

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Kinetic Energy is energy that is in motion. Moving water and wind are good examples of kinetic energy. Electricity is also kinetic energy because even though you can't see it happen, electricity involves electrons moving in conductors.

Energy is measured in the amount of "work" it does.

Potential Energy is stored energy. Examples of potential energy are oil sitting in a barrel, or water in a lake in the mountains. This energy is referred to as potential energy, because if it were released, it would do a lot of work.

Energy can change

from one form to

another. A good

example is a Roller

Coaster. When it is on

its way up, it is using

kinetic energy since

the energy is in

motion. When it

reaches the top it has

potential (or stored)

energy. When it goes

down the hill it is

using kinetic energy

again.

There are other types of energy as well:

Mechanical Energy is the energy of motion that does the work. An example of mechanical energy is the wind as it turns a windmill.

Heat energy is energy that is pushed into motion by using heat. An example is a fire in your fireplace.

Chemical Energy is energy caused by chemical reactions. A good example of chemical energy is food when it is cooked.

Electrical Energy is when electricity creates motion, light or heat. An example of electrical energy is the electric coils on your stove.

Gravitational Energy is motion that is caused by gravity. An example of gravitational energy is water flowing down a waterfall.

Kinetic

(≥0), that of the motion of a body

Potential

A category comprising many forms in this list

Mechanical

The sum of (usually macroscopic) kinetic and potential energies

Mechanical wave

(≥0), a form of mechanical energy propagated by a material's oscillations

Chemical

that contained in molecules

Electric

that from electric fields

Magnetic

that from magnetic fields

Radiant

(≥0), that of electromagnetic radiation including light

Nuclear

that of binding nucleons to form the atomic nucleusonization that of binding an electron to its atom or molecule

Elastic

that of deformation of a material (or its container) exhibiting a restorative force

Gravitational

that from gravitational fields Intrinsic, the rest energy(≥0) that equivalent to an object's rest mass

Thermal

A microscopic, disordered equivalent of mechanical energy

Heat

an amount of thermal energy being transferred (in a given process) in the direction of decreasing temperature

Mechanical work

an amount of energy being transferred in a given process due to displacement in the direction of an applied force

Potential energies are often measured as positive

or negative depending on whether they are

greater or less than the energy of a specified base

state or configuration such as two interacting

bodies being infinitely far apart.

Wave energies (such as radiant or sound

energy), kinetic energy, and rest energy are each

greater than or equal to zero because they are

measured in comparison to a base state of zero

energy: "no wave", "no motion", and "no inertia",

respectively.

Mechanical energy (symbols EM or E) manifest in many forms, but can be broadly classified into potential energy (Ep, V, U or Φ) and kinetic energy (Ek or T). The term potential energy is a very general term, because it exists in all force fields, such as gravitation, electrostatic and magnetic fields. Potential energy refers to the energy any object gain due to its position in a force field.