The Nature of Energy

What is Energy?
 Any type of change that takes place
involves Energy.
 Ex. Walking to class, breathing,
blinking, talking during class while
Mr. Smith says “Stop Talking!”…
 Energy is the ability to cause change.
What changes are occuring?
 Different Forms of Energy
 Energy has many different forms,
such as:
 Electrical (Kinetic Energy)
 Chemical (Potential Energy)
 Thermal (Kinetic Energy)
 Electrical Energy is the movement of
electric charges
 Ex. Turning on a light bulb
 Chemical Energy is energy stored in
the bonds of atoms and molecules.
 Ex. Petroleum

 Thermal Energy is the

movement/vibration of atoms and
molecules in substances.
 Ex. Geothermal Energy
 Kinetic Energy
 Kinetic energy is energy in the form
of motion.
 Amount of Kinetic Energy (KE)
depends on two quantities:
 Mass of moving object
 Velocity
 Kinetic energy = ½ mass x velocity2
 Potential Energy
 Potential Energy is stored energy due
to position.
 Elastic Potential Energy
 Chemical Potential Energy
 Gravitational Potential Energy
 Elastic Potential
Energy is energy
stored by
something that can
stretch or
compress.
 Ex. Rubber Band or
Spring
Chemical Potential
Energy is potential
energy stored in
chemical bonds.
Ex. Energy can be
stored in food
 Gravitational Potential Energy is
energy stored by objects that are
above Earth’s surface.
 Amount depends on three things:
 Mass of the object
 Acceleration due to gravity
 Height above the ground
Gravitational Potential
Energy
 GPE = mass x 9.8m/s2 x height

 Remember: Units of Energy are

expressed in joules.