Energy, Energy Everywhere...
Energy is found everywhere and is used when doing even the simplest tasks. In this page, we will explore the energy conversions that take place in an amusement park. But first, let's do a quick review of the five forms of energy:
Electromagnetic Energy: energy produced from moving electric charges
Thermal Energy: energy produced by the internal motion of atoms
Chemical Energy: energy produced when bonds holding atoms together are broken
Mechanical Energy: energy associated with motion
Nuclear Energy: energy produced when nuclei split or fuse
Electromagnetic Energy: energy produced from moving electric charges
Thermal Energy: energy produced by the internal motion of atoms
Chemical Energy: energy produced when bonds holding atoms together are broken
Mechanical Energy: energy associated with motion
Nuclear Energy: energy produced when nuclei split or fuse
Example 1:
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Example 2:
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Law of Conservation of Energy
The Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed by normal circumstances; it just changes forms. In these two examples, energy was never created, nor was it destroyed. The energy simply changed forms: from electromagnetic to mechanical to thermal in Example 1 or from mechanical to thermal to electromagnetic in Example 2. You had the same amount of energy at the end as you did in the beginning.