What is Energy? In Detail | Energy is the capacity to do work. Without energy we can do nothing; We can’t even move. We are able to perform various actions in our daily life just because we have energy. Today in this article we will go deep into the concept of energy and its relation with matter So Lets Begin!
Energy is the capacity to do work.
Now let me explain you this definition in simple words by the help of Law of Conservation of Energy which states that “Energy can not be created or destroyed but it can be converted from one form to another“. First of all we have understood that energy can not be created nor it can be destroyed but can be converted from one form to another. Now Lets discuss the types of energy.
Types of Energy
Mainly there are 2 types of energy; Kinetic Energy and Potential energy, but there are some other forms as well which include: Thermal Energy, Electrical Energy and Nuclear Energy.
1.Potential Energy
Potential energy is the stored energy in an object which could be utilized in different works. For Example: You are sitting in your home doing nothing. At this position you only have Potential Energy which you can utilize in different works. Now their are some other types of potential energy: Gravitational Potential Energy and Elastic Potential Energy.
(i)Gravitational Potential Energy
Gravitational Potential Energy is the energy stored in an object due to its height. An object has Gravitational Potential Energy when it is raised to a height above the ground. When the object is released, the gravitational potential energy is converted into Kinetic Energy(Discussed Later)
(ii)Elastic Potential Energy
Elastic Potential Energy is the stored energy in an object due to its Elastic Deformation. For Example: When a spring is stretched, It has Elastic Potential Energy, The moment it is released, The Elastic Potential Energy is converted into Kinetic Energy(Discussed Later)
2.Kinetic Energy
Kinetic Energy is the energy of a body due to its motion. For example: when you are running, You are at motion and you are using kinetic energy to continue your motion. In the next paragraph, You will got to know about how energy is changed from one form to another.
Conversion of Energy
As the law of Conservation of energy states that energy can not be created nor destroyed, but it can be converted from one form to another so lets discuss how it can be converted from one form to another. For Example: You are sitting quietly in your garden (Now at this position you only have potential energy) and suddenly you saw some robbers who are rushing to your home and you started to run towards your father who is sleeping upstairs. Now the moment at which you started to run, Your potential energy is converted into kinetic energy because you started motion from rest position. I hope from this example you have understand about how energy is converted from one form to another.
Now lets discuss some other types of energy.
Thermal Energy
Thermal Energy is the stored energy in an object due to its temperature. A hotter body has more Thermal Energy than colder bodies. Thermal Energy can be transferred from hotter body to colder one when in contact. For Example: In winters, You are trying to heat your body by heating your hand infront of fire. Now at this point, Thermal Energy of fire is being transferred in your body
Electrical Energy
Electrical Energy is the energy of an electric charge due to its motion and position. Electrical Energy is used excessively in our daily lives.
Nuclear Energy
Nuclear Energy is the energy released in a nuclear reaction. Now there are two types of Nuclear reaction. Nuclear Fission and Nuclear Fusion. Nuclear Fission is when a nucleus of an atom splits into two or more nuclei. Nuclear Fusion is when Two or more lighter nuclei join together to form a Larger Nucleus.
Now we are going to discuss a complex thing; Energy relationship with matter. I will try my best to explain it in simple words.
Matters relationship with Energy is described by the famous scientist Albert Einstein. He discovered the famous Theory of Relativity which states that matter can be changed into energy if it starts to move at the speed of Light which is 300,000 km/sec. It was indeed a revolution in the branch of Physics. Although it is a very lengthy topic, I tried my best to summarize it and explain it in simple words.
Final Words
In this article we learned about Energy. We discussed types of Energy and the Law of Conservation of Energy. Furthermore, We learned about the relationship between matter and energy. That was it for today. Thanks for visiting our website.
