DIFFERENT FORMS OF ENERGY

Def: Energy is a fundamental concept in physics that describes the ability of a system to do work.

law of conservation of energy: Energy is conserved in all physical processes, which means that it cannot be created
or destroyed, only transferred or transformed from one form to another. This principle is known as the law of
conservation of energy.

1. Kinetic Energy.
 Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. It is the energy that an object possesses due to its velocity or
speed.
 The greater the mass and velocity of an object, the greater its kinetic energy

2. Potential energy:

 It is often defined as the energy that an object possesses due to its position relative to a force, such as
gravity or electric fields.
 example is the gravitational potential energy of a ball at the top of a hill,

3. Chemical Energy:
 Chemical energy is a type of potential energy that is stored in the chemical bonds between atoms and
molecules.
 When a chemical reaction occurs, the energy stored in these bonds is either released or absorbed.
 Chemical energy is therefore a form of potential energy that is associated with the chemical
composition of a substance.
 For example, chemical energy is released when gasoline combines with air in the cylinders of a car's
engine.

4. Electrical Energy:
 Electrical energy is a type of energy that is associated with the flow of electric charge
 Atoms consist of a central mass, known as the nucleus, around which a cloud of electrons circulates.
 An example of this is a thunderstorm, where the clouds are charged electrically with respect to the
ground.

5. Nuclear Energy.:
 Normally, the nucleus of an atom is stable and will remain indefinitely in its present state.
 However, the atoms of some elements are unstable and can change into another form spontaneously,
by the emission of radiation.
  it is sufficient here to note that the radiation emitted has kinetic energy and the disintegration process
results in the release of energy associated with the nucleus, namely, the nuclear energy.
 The relationship between the loss of mass m and the energy released E is given by Einstein's famous
equation:
E=mc2
where c is the velocity of light.

 Each kilogram of mass, fully converted, is equivalent to the energy available by burning 3 million tons
of coal.
 In a typical nuclear reaction, The disintegration of an unstable nucleus, and release of nuclear energy,
can be stimulated by exciting the nucleus by bombarding it with radiation

6. Thermal Energy:
 It is a form of kinetic energy that is related to the motion of the particles that make up the object or
system
 The atoms of all substances are in constant motion. In a solid the atoms are held in an approximately
fixed position with respect to one another.
 they vibrate to an extent that increases with increasing temperature. The energy associated with this
vibration is called thermal energy.
 Thermal energy can be converted into other forms of energy, such as mechanical or electrical energy
Units of Energy:
The rate of energy flow or production is measured in watts, 1 watt being 1 joule of energy per second. Here the basic
unit of energy is a joule
1 kilojoule (kj)=1000 joules
1 megajoule (MJ) = 1 million joules
1 gigajoule (GJ) = 1 thousand million joules
1 terajoule (TJ) = 1 million million joules
1 kilowatt (kW) = 1000 watts
1 gigawatt GW) = 1 thousand million watts

ENEGY CONVERSION PROCESS

 The process of converting one form of energy into another is known as energy conversion.
 The efficiency of the energy conversion process can be calculated by comparing the amount of useful output
energy obtained to the input energy consumed.
 For instance, in the case of a heat engine such as a turbine, the maximum theoretical efficiency can be
calculated using the equation η=T1-T2/T1, where T1 and T2 represent the temperatures of the heat source and
exhaust, respectively.

 Generally, efficiency is determined by evaluating output energy compared to input energy. This measure of
efficiency can be expressed as a percentage, given by 100 multiplied by the ratio of output energy (y) to input
energy (x).
 An example of energy conversion leading to power generation is hydroelectric power generation.
 The potential energy of the water in a mountain reservoir or lake is first converted into kinetic energy of a
turbine, which in turn is converted into electrical energy by means of a generator.
 All of these energy conversion processes are quite efficient; with good design they might even approach
100% efficiency.
 The energy not converted to electrical energy in this process is mainly dissipated by water(hot) leaving the
power station
 Conventional power station: fossil fuels are burned to produce thermal energy that is then converted into
electricity.
 conversion of 100GJ of chemical energy stored in coal into other forms of energy using a steam boiler and a
turbine. The process is not 100% efficient, with a significant amount of energy being lost as waste heat.
 the coal is first sent to a steam boiler where it is burned at a high temperature of 2000°C. This causes the
chemical energy stored in the coal to be released in the form of heat, which is used to generate steam.
 However, not all of the energy is captured, and 10GJ of the heat generated by burning the coal is lost in the
form of flue gases that are released into the atmosphere. These flue gases contain pollutants such as sulfur
oxides, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide.
 The remaining energy is used to convert water into high-pressure steam at a temperature of 500°C. This steam
is then passed to a turbine, where it is used to generate electricity.
 However, the efficiency of this conversion process is not perfect, and only 35GJ of the thermal energy is
converted into electrical energy. The remaining 55GJ is rejected as waste heat.
 Only 1/3rd of coal is converted to useful alternative form
 device for converting thermal energy into another form of energy (kinetic, potential, electrical, etc.) is referred
to as a heat engine. A typical heat engine would be the turbine of a power station
 This equation shows that if t2 is zero on the absolute scale, the efficiency can theoretically approach unity
 Thus, the maximum efficiency is likely to be around 50--60% in a common heat engine,