Types of Energy
Energy is a quantitative property that is utilised to perform some work for a system or heat up a system. Energy exists in a lot of different forms as we know that according to the law of conservation of energy- energy can never be created nor destroyed but only be converted from one form to another. The SI unit for measurement of energy is JOULE, which can be defined as the energy required to move an object to the distance of 1 metre against a force of 1 Newton.
Mass and Energy are very closely related. Due to this mass-energy equivalence property, an object which has a mass when stationary, also has an equivalent amount of energy in it. All living organisms need the energy to survive, human beings need the energy to perform all kinds of tasks. Even the processes responsible for Earth’s ecosystem and climate are also driven by radiant energy that the Earth receives from the Sun.
The total energy of any system is divided into two main parts:
- Kinetic Energy: This is the energy determined by the motion of a body. It is the motion of electrons, waves, objects, substances and molecules. Its value ranges from 0 to further positive values. For example, The kinetic energy in the wind drives the wind turbine to produce electricity.
- Potential Energy: It is the potential of any object to have motion, basically the energy of any object’s position. It is the stored energy in an object.
Now, all other forms of energy are in a way composition of these two energies
Different forms of energy:
(Parts of potential energy)
- Chemical energy: It is the energy stored in chemical bonds of molecules and atoms. It is often released during various chemical reactions mostly in the form of heat. This chemical energy can be found stored in biomass, petroleum, food and natural gas.
- Nuclear energy: It is stored in the nucleus of an atom and is also produced from nuclear reactions. A large amount of energy is released when a nucleus is split apart or nuclei are combined with another nucleous.
- Gravitational energy: It is the energy associated with gravitational force or gravity. It is related to the height of the object, as the height and weight of the object increases, more gravitational energy is stored in that object.
- Elastic energy: It is stored in an elastic object. such as stretched rubber bands or coiled springs. These objects store elastic energy when they are squashed or stretched.
(Parts of Kinetic energy)
- Thermal energy: It is also known as heat energy. It deals with the temperature of an object or the temperature between two objects. Heat energy often increases with the faster movement of atoms and molecules in an object. Geothermal energy is also a kind of thermal energy that is found on Earth.
- Motion energy: It is the energy that is stored in the movements of different objects. As an object start moving faster, the energy increases
- Radiant energy: also known as Electromagnetic energy,it travels in transverse waves. It includes energy from the sun, visible light, X-rays e.t.c. Solar energy also comes under this category only.
- Sound energy: It is the movement of energy through various substances in longitudinal waves. When an object vibrates due to the force acting on it, it produces sound. The energy is transferred through sound waves.
- Electrical energy: It is carried on by tiny charged particles called electrons present inside an atom. These electrons move through a wire and produce electricity. Lightning is a natural example of electrical energy.