What are the different forms of energy

In order to continue enjoying our site, we ask that you confirm your identity as a human. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Energy is defined as the ability to do work. Energy comes in various forms. Here are 10 common types of energy and examples of them.

Mechanical energy is energy that results from movement or the location of an object. Mechanical energy is the sum of kinetic energy and potential energy.

Examples: An object possessing mechanical energy has both kinetic and potential energy, although the energy of one of the forms may be equal to zero. A moving car has kinetic energy. If you move the car up a mountain, it has kinetic and potential energy. A book sitting on a table has potential energy.

Thermal energy or heat energy reflects the temperature difference between two systems.

Example: A cup of hot coffee has thermal energy. You generate heat and have thermal energy with respect to your environment.

Nuclear energy is energy resulting from changes in the atomic nuclei or from nuclear reactions.

Example: Nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, and nuclear decay are examples of nuclear energy. An atomic detonation or power from a nuclear plant are specific examples of this type of energy.

Chemical energy results from chemical reactions between atoms or molecules. There are different types of chemical energy, such as electrochemical energy and chemiluminescence.

Example: A good example of chemical energy is an electrochemical cell or battery.

Electromagnetic energy (or radiant energy) is energy from light or electromagnetic waves.

Example: Any form of light has electromagnetic energy, including parts of the spectrum we can't see. Radio, gamma rays, x-rays, microwaves, and ultraviolet light are some examples of electromagnetic energy.

Sonic energy is the energy of sound waves. Sound waves travel through the air or another medium.

Example: A sonic boom, a song played on a stereo, your voice.

Energy associated with gravity involves the attraction between two objects based on their mass. It can serve as a basis for mechanical energy, such as the potential energy of an object placed on a shelf or the kinetic energy of the Moon in orbit around the Earth.

Example: Gravitational energy holds the atmosphere to the Earth.

Kinetic energy is the energy of motion of a body. It ranges from 0 to a positive value.

Example: An example is a child swinging on a swing. No matter whether the swing is moving forward or backward, the value of the kinetic energy is never negative.

Potential energy is the energy of an object's position.

Example: When a child swinging on a swing reaches the top of the arc, she has maximum potential energy. When she is closest to the ground, her potential energy is at its minimum (0). Another example is throwing a ball into the air. At the highest point, the potential energy is greatest. As the ball rises or falls it has a combination of potential and kinetic energy.

Ionization energy is the form of energy that binds electrons to the nucleus of its atom, ion, or molecule.

Example: The first ionization energy of an atom is the energy needed to remove one electron completely. The second ionization energy is energy to remove a second electron and is greater than that required to remove the first electron.

If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

What are the different forms of energy

Light is a form of radiant energy.

There are many different types of energy, which all fall into two primary forms – kinetic and potential. Energy can transform from one type to another, but it can never be destroyed or created.

Types of energy can be categorised into two broad categories – kinetic energy (the energy of moving objects) and potential energy (energy that is stored). These are the two basic forms of energy. The different types of energy include thermal energy, radiant energy, chemical energy, nuclear energy, electrical energy, motion energy, sound energy, elastic energy and gravitational energy.

What are the different forms of energy

Thermal energy is created from the vibration of atoms and molecules within substances. The faster they move, the more energy they possess and the hotter they become. Thermal energy is also called heat energy.

Let's go! >

What are the different forms of energy

Chemical energy is stored in the bonds of atoms and molecules – it is the energy that holds these particles together. Stored chemical energy is found in food, biomass, petroleum, and natural gas.

Let's go! >

What are the different forms of energy

Nuclear energy is stored in the nucleus of atoms. This energy is released when the nuclei are combined (fusion) or split apart (fission). Nuclear power plants split the nuclei of uranium atoms to produce electricity.

Let's go! >

What are the different forms of energy

Electrical energy is the movement of electrons (the tiny particles that makeup atoms, along with protons and neutrons). Electrons that move through a wire are called electricity. Lightning is another example of electrical energy.

Let's go! >

What are the different forms of energy

Also known as light energy or electromagnetic energy, radiant energy is a type of kinetic energy that travels in waves. Examples include the energy from the sun, x-rays, and radio waves.

Let's go! >

What are the different forms of energy

Light energy is a form of electromagnetic radiation. Light consists of photons, which are produced when an object's atoms heat up. Light travels in waves and is the only form of energy visible to the human eye.

Let's go! >

What are the different forms of energy

Motion energy – or mechanical energy – is the energy stored in objects; as objects move faster, more energy is stored. Examples of motion energy include wind, a flowing river, a moving car, or a person running.

Let's go! >

What are the different forms of energy

Sound energy is the movement of energy through substances. It moves in waves and is produced when a force makes an object or substance vibrate. There is usually much less energy in sound than in other forms of energy.

Let's go! >

What are the different forms of energy

Elastic energy is a form of potential energy that is stored in an elastic object - such as a coiled spring or a stretched elastic band. Elastic objects store elastic energy when a force causes them to be stretched or squashed.

Let's go! >

What are the different forms of energy

Gravitational energy is a form of potential energy. It is an energy associated with gravity or gravitational force – in other words, the energy held by an object when it is in a high position compared to a lower position.

Let's go! >

While it might sound complex, the First Law of Conservation of energy simply states that energy can never be created or destroyed, but it can be transformed from one type to another.

What are the different forms of energy

Energy can be transformed from one form to another in different ways.

Kinetic energy is the energy of a moving object.

Potential energy is energy that is stored in an object or substance.

The Law of Conservation of energy is that energy can be transformed from one form to another, but can be neither created or destroyed.

Energy Transformations see diagram…

Notice that these energy transfer examples only show the useful energy transfers. However, car engines are also noisy (sound energy) and hot (thermal energy) and electric lamps also give out heat energy.

The word energy comes from the Greek word 'energeia', meaning 'activity.

The use of the word 'energy' dates all the way back to the 4th century BC.

What are the different forms of energy

Sunlight energy is converted into the chemical energy of glucose.

Energy comes in many different types, which can be categorised into two basic forms – kinetic and potential. Energy can never be created or destroyed, but it can be transformed from one type of energy to another.

keyboard_arrow_up