Energy are of two types;

1) Kinetic Energy

2) Potential Energy

Kinetic Energy
All moving things have kinetic energy. It is energy possessed by an object due to its
motion or movement. These include very large things, like planets, and very small
ones, like atoms. The heavier a thing is, and the faster it moves, the more kinetic
energy it has.

Now let's see this illustration below.

There is a small and large ball resting on a table.

Let us say both balls will fall into the bucket of water.
What is going to happen?
You will notice that the smaller ball makes a little splash as it falls into the bucket. The heavier ball
makes a very big splash. Why?

Note the following:

1. Both balls had potential energy as they rested on the table.
2. By resting up on a high table, they also had gravitational energy.
3. By moving and falling off the table (movement), potential and gravitational energy
changed to Kinetic Energy.

Mechanical Energy

Mechanical energy is often confused with Kinetic and Potential Energy. We will try to
make it very easy to understand and know the difference. Before that, we need to
understand the word ‘Work’.

‘Work’ is done when a force acts on an object to cause it to move, change shape,
displace, or do something physical. For, example, if I push a door open for my pet dog
to walk in, work is done on the door (by causing it to open). But what kind of force
caused the door to open? Here is whereMechanical Energy comes in.

Mechanical energy is the sum of kinetic and potential energy in an object that is used
to do work. In other words, it is energy in an object due to its motion or position, or
both. In the 'open door' example above, I possess potential chemical energy (energy
stored in me), and by lifting my hands to push the door, my action also had kinetic
energy (energy in the motion of my hands). By pushing the door, my potential and
kinetic energy was transferred into mechanical energy, which caused work to be done
(door opened). Here, the door gained mechanical energy, which caused the door to be
displaced temporarily. Note that for work to be done, an object has to supply
a force for another object to be displaced.

Here is another example of a boy with an iron hammer and nail. In the illustration
below…
(1) The iron hammer on its own has no kinetic energy, but it has some potential energy
(because of its weight).

(2) To drive a nail into the piece of wood (which is work), he has to lift the iron hammer
up, (this increases its potential energy because if its high position).

(3) And force it to move at great speed downwards (now has kinetic energy) to hit the
nail.

The sum of the potential and kinetic energy that the hammer acquired to drive in the
nail is called the Mechanical energy, which resulted in the work done.

Sound energy
Sound is the movement of energy through substances in longitudinal
(compression/rarefaction) waves.

Sound is produced when a force causes an object or substance to vibrate — the energy
is transferred through the substance in a wave. Typically, the energy in sound is far
less than other forms of energy.

Let's see this illustration.

A vibrating drum in a disco transfers energy to the room as sound. Kinetic energy from
the moving air molecules transfers the sound energy to the dancers eardrums. Notice
that Kinetic (movement) energy in the sticks is being transferred into sound energy.

Sound vibrations create sound waves which move through mediums such as
air and water before reaching our ears.

The diagram below shows how a sound wave is represented:

Sound energy is usually measured by its pressure and intensity, in special units
called pascals and decibels. Sometimes, loud noise can cause pain to people. This is
called the threshold of pain. This threshold is different from person to person. For
example, teens can handle a lot higher sound pressure than elderly people, or people
who work in factories tend to have a higher threshold pressure because they get used
to loud noise in the factories.

Electrical energy
Matter is made up of atoms. In these atoms, there are some even small stuff
called electrons that are constantly moving. The movement of these electrons depends
on how much energy it has. This means every object has potential energy, even
though some have more than others.

Humans can force these moving electrons along a path from one place to the other.
There are special mediums (materials) called conductors, that carry this energy. Some
materials cannot carry energy in this form, and they are called insulators. We
generate electrical energy whey we succeed in causing these electrons to move from
one atom to the other, with the use of magnetic forces.

Once we harness electrical energy, it can be used for work or stored.

How does an electric current work?

A battery transfers stored chemical energy as charged particles called electrons,
typically moving through a wire. For example, electrical energy is transferred to the
surroundings by the lamp as light energy and thermal (heat) energy.

Lightning is one good example of electrical energy in nature, so powerful that it is not
confined to a wire. Thunderclouds build up large amounts of electrical energy. This is
called static electricity. They are released during lightning when the clouds strike
against each other.

Gravitational Energy, Potential Energy

It is important to know the two main types of potential energy:gravitational
potential energy and elastic potential energy

Every object may have Potential energy but Gravitational Potential energy is only
stored in the height of the object. Any time that a heavy object is kept high up, a force
or power is likely to be holding it up there. This is the reason why it stays up and does
not fall. It is important to note that the heavier the object, the more its potential
energy.

Let's see the diagram below:

Consider Mr Green throwing a bag of gold coins to Mr Red, who is up a tower. As Mr

Green throws the bag from A to B, potential energy is transferred from Mr Green into
the bag, which now has kinetic energy.

As the bag moves upwards, kinetic energy decreases, and gravitational energy
increases. At the highest point (B) Kinetic energy is zero, and Gravitational potential
energy is highest.

As the bag did not get to Mr Red, it starts falling from point B downwards due to
gravity. It starts falling slowly (kinetic energy is low) and then speeds up downwards.

At point A, the bag is at full speed and kinetic energy is highest, whiles gravitational
energy is nearly lost.

When the bag of gold coins hits the ground, kinetic energy is converted into heat and
sound by the impact.

It is worth noting that the higher the gravitational energy of an object moving
downwards, the lower the kinetic energy, and the lower the kinetic energy of an object
moving upwards, the higher its gravitational energy.

Elastic Potential Energy or Stored Mechanical

In the previous page, we learned that potential energy is energy an object possesses by
virtue of its height or position (gravitational potential energy) or condition (elastic
potential energy). Each time energy is transferred into an object, two things happen. It
is either used to do work, or it is stored in the object. If it is stored, the object is
given potential energy that can be released to do work.
Some materials possess elastic potential energy, although some have more than
others. Springs, Poly materials such as rubber have more elastic potential energy than
wood and metal products. Materials with bending or stretching ability have more elastic
potential energy.

What is elastic potential energy?

It is energy stored in stretched or compressed elastic materials. This also means that
elastic potential energy is zero in objects that have not been stretched or compressed.

Think of materials such as springs in a jump trampoline, or strings in an acoustic guitar,

or rubber band, bow and arrows, rubber slings, springs, etc, they all stretch or get
compressed when we pull or squash them.

Eample 2: The Rubber Sling

Another example of stored elastic potential energy is a stretched rubber sling.
1. In the diagram above, when the sling is in its unstretched position, the elastic
potential energy is zero.

2. When you stretch the rubber sling, you do work on it. The rubber sling, therefore,
acquires energy and is momentarily stored as elastic potential energy. As long as you
keep it stretched, the elastic potential energy remains stored.

3. When it is released, the stored elastic energy is transferred into the pebble as kinetic
energy.

When the rubber sling returns to its unstretched position, the elastic potential energy is
zero.

Sources of Energy

People have always used energy to do work for them. Thousands of years ago, early
humans burned wood to provide light, heat their living spaces, and cook their food.
Later, people used the wind to move their boats from place to place. A hundred years
ago, people began using falling water to make electricity. Today, people use more
energy than ever from a variety of sources for a multitude of tasks and our lives are
undoubtedly better for it. Our homes are comfortable and full of useful and entertaining
electrical devices. We communicate instantaneously in many ways. We live longer,
healthier lives. We travel the world, or at least see it on television and the internet.The
ten major energy sources we use today are classified into two broad groups—
nonrenewable and renewable.

Nonrenewable energy sources include coal, petroleum, natural gas, propane, and
uranium. They are used to generate electricity, to heat our homes, to move our cars,
and to manufacture products from candy bars to cell phones.These energy sources are
called nonrenewable because they cannot be replenished in a short period of time.
Petroleum, a fossil fuel, for example, was formed hundreds of millions of years ago,
before dinosaurs existed. It was formed from the remains of ancient sea life, so it cannot
be made quickly. We could run out of economically recoverable nonrenewable
resources some day.

Renewable energy sources include biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar, and

wind. They are called renewable energy sources because their supplies are replenished
in a short time. Day after day, the sun shines, the wind blows, and the rivers flow. We
use renewable energy sources mainly to make electricity.

Is electricity a renewable or nonrenewable source of energy? The answer is neither.

Electricity is different from the other energy sources because it is a secondary source
of energy. That means we have to use another energy source to make it. In the United
States, coal is the number one fuel for generating electricity.