Energy
Energy is a fundamental concept in physics and refers to the ability or capacity of a system or object to do work or produce an effect. It is an essential quantity that underlies all physical processes and phenomena in the universe.
Energy is neither created nor destroyed but can be transformed from one form to another or transferred between objects or systems.
In simpler terms, energy is what allows things to happen in the physical world. It can exist in various forms, such as kinetic energy (energy of motion), potential energy (energy due to position or state), thermal energy (heat), electrical energy, chemical energy, and many others. Energy plays a central role in powering machines, generating electricity, driving chemical reactions, and sustaining life processes.
Energy is usually quantified using standard units, such as the International System (SI) unit, which is the joule (J), or the centimeter-gram-second (CGS) unit, which is the calorie (cal).
It exhibits a fundamental principle of conservation within closed systems, where the total energy remains constant even as it undergoes diverse transformations.
Types of Energy
The two main types of energy are:
- Kinetic Energy: Kinetic energy is the energy associated with the motion of an object. Any object that is in motion, whether it’s a car moving down the street, a person walking, or a baseball being thrown, possesses kinetic energy. The kinetic energy of an object depends on its mass and its velocity (speed). Read More: Kinetic Energy
- Potential Energy: Potential energy is the energy associated with an object’s position or state. It is stored energy that has the potential to do work in the future. There are different forms of potential energy, but the most common one is gravitational potential energy. Gravitational potential energy depends on the height of an object above a reference point (usually the ground), its mass, and the strength of the gravitational field.