Energy

What is an energy store?

An energy store is a way of talking about the different types of energy something can have. It helps us understand how energy is kept in objects or systems. For instance, something can have energy because it's moving, or because it's up high, or even because it's hot. There are 8 types of energy stores these are:

Thermal Energy: Energy is associated with the motion of particles in matter, and is also known as heat energy.
Kinetic Energy: Energy associated with the motion of an object.
Gravitational Potential Energy: Energy stored in an object due to its position in a gravitational field.
Elastic Potential Energy: Energy stored in an object when it is stretched or compressed.
Chemical Energy: Energy stored in the bonds between atoms and molecules.
Nuclear Energy: Energy stored in the nucleus of an atom, and released through nuclear reactions.
Electrostatic Energy: Energy stored in the electric fields created by charged particles.
Magnetic Energy: Energy stored in the magnetic fields created by magnets and moving charged particles.

What is energy transfer?

Energy transfer is the movement of energy from one store or object to another. Energy transfer can occur in many different ways, including through the transfer of heat, work, or electromagnetic radiation.

For example, when you touch a hot stove, thermal energy is transferred from the stove to your hand through conduction. When a car accelerates, the engine converts chemical energy from fuel into kinetic energy of the car.

Energy transfer is subject to the laws of thermodynamics, which govern how energy can be transferred and transformed between different forms. These laws dictate that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but only transferred or transformed from one form to another.

The conservation of energy principle is a basic law in physics that states that energy can be transferred usefully, stored or dissipated but can never be created nor destroyed. This principle is also known as the first law of thermodynamics.