There Are 15 Types Of Energy
Fact of the day: There are 15 types of energy.
When someone says energy, most people think of electricity, or light. Energy is so much more than that. Energy takes so many forms that the definition is very simple and generic. Energy is the ability to do work.
Energy can never be created or destroyed, but can be interchanged with matter (E = mc 2), so the overall amount of mass and energy in the universe remains constant. Energy can be changed between different types of energy.
Types Of Energy
Kinetic Energy
Kinetic energy is basically the energy that an object uses to move.
Potential Energy
Potential energy is the energy 'stored' in an object in relation to its position. For example, when you pick a tennis ball up, the kinetic energy that you are using to pick the ball up turns into gravitational potential energy, and when you drop it, the gravitational potential energy then turns back into kinetic energy for the ball to drop.
Mechanical Energy
The sum of an objects kinetic and potential energy.
Electric Energy
Energy from an electric field.
Magnetic Energy
Energy from a magnetic field.
Gravitational Energy
Energy from a gravitational field.
Chemical Energy
Chemical energy is the energy 'stored' in the chemical bonds of a molecule. For example, glucose (C6 H12 O6), can store chemical energy; when you absorb glucose, you break it down, releasing the chemical energy within the glucose molecule, which you either then use, or turn it back into chemical energy to store the energy.
Ionisation Energy
The energy that binds an atom or molecule, to an electron.
Nuclear Energy
The energy that binds a nucleon to an atomic nucleus.
Chromodynamic Energy
The energy that binds quarks together.
Elastic Energy
The energy that a deformed object uses to restore itself to its original shape.
Mechanical Wave Energy
The deformational wave that spreads through a material. A sound wave is an example of this.
Radiant Energy
Electromagnetic radiation.
Rest Energy
Energy that is equivalent to an objects rest mass.
Thermal Energy
A microscopic form of mechanical energy.
Energy has to be transferred from one object to another, and there are two ways of doing this. Heat, and work. Work can also be called force.
Heat can be transferred from object to object by one object lowering its thermal energy (cooling) and one (nearby) object gaining thermal energy (heating). The behaviour of heat is determined by the Laws Of Thermodynamics, which I will explain later in this topic.
Work, or force is basically doing something with energy, like when you walk, you transfer the chemical energy in your body, into kinetic energy, which makes your legs move, which in turn makes the air move around you, and creates a very small amount of thermal energy, via friction between the air and your legs or trousers.
There are four fundamental forces that are the core of all forces. I will go into more detail about this in the next topic.
One of the most common (and I think the most obvious) ways of transferring energy via a force is movement.
The Sun (above) is a very (very) rapid producer of heat (transfer of thermal energy) via infared electromagnetic radiation.
When someone says energy, most people think of electricity, or light. Energy is so much more than that. Energy takes so many forms that the definition is very simple and generic. Energy is the ability to do work.
Energy can never be created or destroyed, but can be interchanged with matter (E = mc 2), so the overall amount of mass and energy in the universe remains constant. Energy can be changed between different types of energy.
Types Of Energy
Kinetic Energy
Kinetic energy is basically the energy that an object uses to move.
Potential Energy
Potential energy is the energy 'stored' in an object in relation to its position. For example, when you pick a tennis ball up, the kinetic energy that you are using to pick the ball up turns into gravitational potential energy, and when you drop it, the gravitational potential energy then turns back into kinetic energy for the ball to drop.
Mechanical Energy
The sum of an objects kinetic and potential energy.
Electric Energy
Energy from an electric field.
Magnetic Energy
Energy from a magnetic field.
Gravitational Energy
Energy from a gravitational field.
Chemical Energy
Chemical energy is the energy 'stored' in the chemical bonds of a molecule. For example, glucose (C6 H12 O6), can store chemical energy; when you absorb glucose, you break it down, releasing the chemical energy within the glucose molecule, which you either then use, or turn it back into chemical energy to store the energy.
Ionisation Energy
The energy that binds an atom or molecule, to an electron.
Nuclear Energy
The energy that binds a nucleon to an atomic nucleus.
Chromodynamic Energy
The energy that binds quarks together.
Elastic Energy
The energy that a deformed object uses to restore itself to its original shape.
Mechanical Wave Energy
The deformational wave that spreads through a material. A sound wave is an example of this.
Radiant Energy
Electromagnetic radiation.
Rest Energy
Energy that is equivalent to an objects rest mass.
Thermal Energy
A microscopic form of mechanical energy.
Energy has to be transferred from one object to another, and there are two ways of doing this. Heat, and work. Work can also be called force.
Heat can be transferred from object to object by one object lowering its thermal energy (cooling) and one (nearby) object gaining thermal energy (heating). The behaviour of heat is determined by the Laws Of Thermodynamics, which I will explain later in this topic.
Work, or force is basically doing something with energy, like when you walk, you transfer the chemical energy in your body, into kinetic energy, which makes your legs move, which in turn makes the air move around you, and creates a very small amount of thermal energy, via friction between the air and your legs or trousers.
There are four fundamental forces that are the core of all forces. I will go into more detail about this in the next topic.
One of the most common (and I think the most obvious) ways of transferring energy via a force is movement.
The Sun (above) is a very (very) rapid producer of heat (transfer of thermal energy) via infared electromagnetic radiation.
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