What is energy?
- In the simplest terms, energy is the ability to do work. Energy is also represented in terms of any source of usable power. In different ways, energy is used to do almost everything such as jumping, walking and the operation of machinery. For instance, the foods human consumes contain energy which is stored in the body and converted into energy every time we engage in any duty or work such as sports. The stored energy is termed as potential energy while the working energy is termed as kinetic energy.
- The electricity used in our homes is also a form of energy because it is a form of usable power. The places from which the different energies are obtained are known as energy sources. Examples include burning coal, nuclear reactions, petroleum, and so on. Energy sources are divided into two major categories namely renewable energy and non-renewable energy.
- Renewable energy is from sources that can be replenished easily while non-renewable energy cannot be easily replenished. Example of renewable energy is wind energy while fossil fuel is an example of non-renewable energy. In physics, energy is explained as the thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work. The units of energy are ergs or joules.
- The electricity used in our homes is also a form of energy because it is a form of usable power. The places from which the different energies are obtained are known as energy sources. Examples include burning coal, nuclear reactions, petroleum, and so on. Energy sources are divided into two major categories namely renewable energy and non-renewable energy.
- Renewable energy is from sources that can be replenished easily while non-renewable energy cannot be easily replenished. Example of renewable energy is wind energy while fossil fuel is an example of non-renewable energy. In physics, energy is explained as the thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work. The units of energy are ergs or joules.
Why is energy important?
Energy is essential to life and all living organisms. The sun, directly or indirectly, is the source of all the energy available on Earth. Our energy choices and decisions impact Earth's natural systems in ways we may not be aware of, so it is essential that we choose our energy sources carefully. The true cost of energy is more than just dollars and cents; there are important economic, political and social factors and consequences to consider as well.
What is climate change?
Climate change is a change in the usual weather found in a place. This could be a change in how much rain a place usually gets in a year. Or it could be a change in a place's usual temperature for a month or season. Climate change is also a change in Earth's climate. This could be a change in Earth's usual temperature. Or it could be a change in where rain and snow usually fall on Earth. Weather can change in just a few hours. Climate takes hundreds or even millions of years to change. Link.
Different types of energy
1. Mechanical energy: Mechanical Energy is energy that results from movement or the location of an object. Mechanical energy is the sum of kinetic energy and potential energy. Examples: An object possessing mechanical energy has both kinetic and potential energy, although the energy of one of the forms may be equal to zero. A moving car has kinetic energy. If you move the car up a mountain, it has kinetic and potential energy. A book sitting on a table has potential energy.
2. Thermal Energy: Thermal energy or heat energy reflects the temperature difference between two systems. Example: A cup of hot coffee has thermal energy. You generate heat and have thermal energy with respect to your environment
3. Nuclear Energy: Nuclear Energy is energy resulting from changes in atomic nuclei or from nuclear reactions. Example: Nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, and nuclear decay are examples of nuclear energy. An atomic detonation or power from a nuclear plant are specific examples of this type of energy.
4. Chemical Energy: Chemical energy results from chemical reactions between atoms or molecules. There are different types of chemical energy, such as electro-chemical energy and chemiluminescence. A good example of chemical energy is an electro-chemical cell or battery.
5. Electromagnetic Energy: Electromagnetic energy or radiant energy is energy from light or electromagnetic waves. Example: Any form of light has electromagnetic energy, including parts of the spectrum we can’t see. Radio, gamma rays, x-rays, microwaves and ultraviolet light.
6. Sonic Energy: Sonic energy is the energy of sound waves. Sound waves travel through air or another medium. Example: A sonic boom, a song played on a stereo or your voice.
7. Gravitational Energy: Energy associated with gravity involves the attraction between two objects based on their mass It can serve as a basis for mechanical energy, such as the potential energy of an object placed on a shelf or the kinetic energy of the Moon in orbit around the Earth. Example: Gravitational energy holds the atmosphere to the Earth.
8. Kinetic Energy: Kinetic energy is the energy of motion of a body. It ranges from 0 to a positive value. An example is a child swinging on a swing. No matter whether the swing is moving forward or backward, the value of the kinetic energy is never negative.
9. Potential Energy: Potential energy is the energy of an object's position. Example: When a child swinging on a swing reaches the top of the arc, she has maximum potential energy. When she is closest to the ground, her potential energy is at its minimum (0). Another example is throwing a ball into the air. At the highest point, the potential energy is greatest. As the ball rises or falls it has a combination of potential and kinetic energy.
10. Ionization Energy: Ionization energy is the form of energy that binds electrons to the nucleus of its atom, ion, or molecule. Example: The first ionization energy of an atom is the energy needed to remove one electron completely. The second ionization energy is energy to remove a second electron and is greater than that required to remove the first electron.
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2. Thermal Energy: Thermal energy or heat energy reflects the temperature difference between two systems. Example: A cup of hot coffee has thermal energy. You generate heat and have thermal energy with respect to your environment
3. Nuclear Energy: Nuclear Energy is energy resulting from changes in atomic nuclei or from nuclear reactions. Example: Nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, and nuclear decay are examples of nuclear energy. An atomic detonation or power from a nuclear plant are specific examples of this type of energy.
4. Chemical Energy: Chemical energy results from chemical reactions between atoms or molecules. There are different types of chemical energy, such as electro-chemical energy and chemiluminescence. A good example of chemical energy is an electro-chemical cell or battery.
5. Electromagnetic Energy: Electromagnetic energy or radiant energy is energy from light or electromagnetic waves. Example: Any form of light has electromagnetic energy, including parts of the spectrum we can’t see. Radio, gamma rays, x-rays, microwaves and ultraviolet light.
6. Sonic Energy: Sonic energy is the energy of sound waves. Sound waves travel through air or another medium. Example: A sonic boom, a song played on a stereo or your voice.
7. Gravitational Energy: Energy associated with gravity involves the attraction between two objects based on their mass It can serve as a basis for mechanical energy, such as the potential energy of an object placed on a shelf or the kinetic energy of the Moon in orbit around the Earth. Example: Gravitational energy holds the atmosphere to the Earth.
8. Kinetic Energy: Kinetic energy is the energy of motion of a body. It ranges from 0 to a positive value. An example is a child swinging on a swing. No matter whether the swing is moving forward or backward, the value of the kinetic energy is never negative.
9. Potential Energy: Potential energy is the energy of an object's position. Example: When a child swinging on a swing reaches the top of the arc, she has maximum potential energy. When she is closest to the ground, her potential energy is at its minimum (0). Another example is throwing a ball into the air. At the highest point, the potential energy is greatest. As the ball rises or falls it has a combination of potential and kinetic energy.
10. Ionization Energy: Ionization energy is the form of energy that binds electrons to the nucleus of its atom, ion, or molecule. Example: The first ionization energy of an atom is the energy needed to remove one electron completely. The second ionization energy is energy to remove a second electron and is greater than that required to remove the first electron.
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