Download I. Forms of Energy - The Lesson Builder

I. Forms of Energy
Energy is the ability to work. You need energy to force an
object to move. You need energy to make matter change. The
blowing wind, the warm Sun and a falling leaf are all examples
of energy in use. Energy makes motion and change possible.
There are two basic types of energy, kinetic and
potential. Kinetic energy is being used as an object is in
motion. Potential energy is in storage just waiting to be
used. Many things start out having potential energy, and then
once they begin to move, the energy becomes kinetic. For
example, a car parked in a driveway has potential energy.
When the ignition is started and it drives away, the car gains
kinetic energy as it moves. Can you think of another example
of potential energy turning into kinetic energy?
Energy is captured in many different forms:
Electrical energy is the movement of charged particles,
negative (-) and positive (+). It can come from batteries or
power plants and it can also be found in nature. Power plants
burn fuel to make electricity which is then sent to homes and
businesses through wires.
Chemical energy is stored in the particles that make up food,
fuel and other matter. The food you eat gives chemical energy
which allows you to walk, run and move.
Light energy comes from the Sun. Plants use it to make food
and scientists use it to create lasers.
Mechanical energy is matter in motion. An airplane soaring
through the sky has mechanical energy just like the wind or a
flowing river. Sound is another type of mechanical energy.
Thermal energy comes from the motion of tiny particles in
matter. The faster the particles move, the warmer the matter
can get. Examples of thermal energy are stoves and matches.
Nuclear energy is formed when tiny particles called atoms
split apart (fission) or join together (fusion). The Sun’s energy
is produced from nuclear reaction.
Conservation of energy to scientists is not saving energy.
The law of conservation of energy says that energy is neither
created nor destroyed. When we use energy, it doesn’t
disappear. We change it from one form of energy into another.
A car engine burns gasoline, converting the chemical energy in
gasoline into mechanical energy. Solar cells change radiant
energy into electrical energy. Energy changes form, but the
total amount of energy in the universe stays the same.
Scientists at the Department of Energy think they have
discovered a mysterious new form of energy called “dark
energy” that is actually causing the universe to grow!