Download Types of Energy ANSWERS

Student Study Guide: Energy Rules!
Instructions: Write a definition for ENERGY, then write down the type of energy which best matches each
description. Finally write a definition for the Law of Conservation of Energy.
Energy: the capacity to do work or create change
motion
energy – the energy of an object or substance in movement; sometimes just called
kinetic energy example(s): a person dancing, car in motion, a thrown ball, flowing
water, etc.
gravitational
energy – the energy an object has due to place or position, such as its height above
the Earth; a form of potential energy example(s): a rock on the edge of a cliff, water
behind a dam, etc.
electric
energy – the energy of electrons (negatively charged particles) moving or
“flowing” within a substance example(s): electricity in power lines or home wiring, electricity
from a battery
light
energy – electromagnetic energy that travels in waves; also called radiant energy
example(s): sunlight, the light of a lamp or of a TV or computer monitor, etc
heat
.
energy – the internal energy of a substance due to random vibration and
movement of its atoms and molecules; also called thermal energy example(s):
heat
from the burner of a stove, charcoal grill, forest fire, etc.
sound
energy – energy that moves through substances (like air) by compression waves;
sound example(s): any kind of sound - from a human, machine, animal, Discman, etc.
chemical
energy – energy stored in the chemical bonds between atoms and molecules
example(s): energy plants store by photosynthesis, any food we eat, coal, oil
nuclear
energy – energy stored in the nucleus of an atom; the energy that holds an atom together;
sometimes called atomic energy
example(s): uranium at a nuclear power plant; plutonium in a nuclear bomb
Elastic
energy – energy stored in the deformation (stretch or compression) of an elastic
object; a form of POTENTIAL energy. Example(s): stretching a rubber band,
compressing a spring.
Law of Conservation of Energy:
The total amount of energy in the universe is constant. Energy can be neither created nor destroyed, but it
can be changed from one form to another.