Energy is a simple word but of significant influence in modern science. It can be defined as the capacity to do work. In accordance with the First Law of Thermodynamics, the total amount of energy in the entire universe is consistent, which can neither be increased nor decreased.
What Is Energy
Energy is the ability of a system to do work and It can also be defined as the capacity to do work. It is an characteristic of objects and systems, which is capable of coversion. Energy lets us do things, keep us warm, gives us light, makes us grow, used in our cars and tvs and much more. Energy causes things happen.When we eat food, our bodies transform the food into energy to do work. During the day, the sun gives out light and heat energy that we consume and at night street lamps use electrical energy to light our way. The concept of energy is widespread in all sciences, whether it is biology, physics, chemistry or geology.
There has been massive increase in the demand of energy since the midlle of the last century and there are different types of energy that we have been using. What are those different types of energy, find out ahead.
Types Of Energy
Kinetic
It is form of energy that implies the energy of motion. It is a scalar quantity, which has a magnitude but no direction and is always positive. It is linked with the concept of work, which is a scalar product of force and the displacement vector over which the force is applied. Examples of kinetic energy are waves of heat from a burning fire, a vibrating speaker and the sound waves emanating from it, a car in full acceleration.
Heat
It is a form of energy which transfers among particles in a substance or system, by means of kinetic energy of that particle. The heat is transferred by particles coming into contact with each other. When an iron is hot, it has a lot of heat in it, implying that it has a lot of energy in it, and on contacting it, will cause that energy to transfer to the hand in the shape of heat. Heat is measured in joule (J) in SI units, and also measured in calorie (cal) or British Thermal Units (BTU).
Potential
It is idle energy that is yet to be used, e.g. a stretched rubber band, chemicals in a battery, gravity, etc.
Change Of Energy
Energy can be neither be created nor destroyed but it can only change from one form to another (e.g. chemical energy to electrical energy or mechanical motion, heat to light. When an object at rest e.g. a car is put into motion, potential energy in the form of liquid gasoline is converted into kinetic energy, as the fuel is ignited in the combustion chamber of the engine, and the vehicle accelerates. Alternatively, when brakes are applied and the car comes to a halt, its kinetic energy of mechanical motion is converted to a different kind of kinetic energy, i.e. heat waves originating from the friction brake pads. This energy is lost by the vehicle for any future application.
An electric car, uses the potential chemical energy that is stored in the battery, converted it into electrical energy that drives the traction motor which in turn is converted into mechanical kinetic energy that sets the wheels of the car in motion. Two billiard balls come to rest on colliding, with the resulting energy becoming sound and heat at the point of collision.
Alternative Energy Sources
There are many reasons we are looking towards alternative energy sources. A primary focus in modern world is to reduce pollutants and greenhouse gases. The amount of toxins, that are by-products of energy use, can be reduced by alternative or renewable energy. Not only do they protect against harmful by-products, but use of alternate energy assists to preserve natural resources which are used as sources of energy. Ecological balance of the planet can be preserved by the use of alternative energy, and help us conserve the non-renewable energy sources like fossil fuels. Sources of alternative energy are solar power, wind power, geothermal energy which is the heat energy underneath the earth.