Examples of the Six Forms of Energy

When people speak of examples of the six forms of energy, they are actually talking about two states of energy that take many different forms.

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Energy exists in everything. It changes form, makes things happen or transfers from one place to another. Energy is needed for any change to occur regardless of the magnitude of the change. From the smallest rustle of a leaf in a gentle wind or the movement of a baby’s tiny finger to a massive earthquake or the power of a football player running for a touchdown, it all occurs as the result of energy changes.

Energy makes everything happen as it is transformed and unitized by all things in the universe. Sometimes referred to as the mysterious everything, no one really knows what energy is. Scientists have been able to identify many of its properties and characteristics and assign complex mathematical formulas to those properties and characteristics.

Yet in many ways, energy is as complicated and mysterious as it was thousands of years ago when the ancient Chinese applied the concept of energy in the origin of feng shui and the delicate balance of the yin yang. In the principles of feng shui, energy is referred to as chi. However, in this respect the word energy does not capture all of the metaphysical qualities of chi which is referred to as the universal force of life and as life breath in the Book of Burial, written during the Zhou Dynasty by Guo Pu more than 3,000 years ago.

From a scientific aspect there are many different forms of energy which are classified as being in one of two states, either kinetic or potential. Kinetic energy is the energy an object has when it is motion. Potential energy is stored in some manner and is converted to energy. From these two energy types, scientists break energy into many different forms. The six most common forms are the following:

• Nuclear
• Chemical
• Electrical
• Thermal
• Mechanical
• Radiant

Each of these six forms of energy is related to the other five forms. Each one can be changed, or converted, into one or more of the other energy forms.

A type of potential energy, nuclear energy holds the nucleus of an atom together. The energy remains stored in the nucleus and is released when the nuclei are split apart, called fusion, or are combined, called fission. Fusion occurs when hydrogen atoms combine from the power of the sun. Fission occurs when atoms of uranium are split in a nuclear power plant. Several examples of nuclear energy include:

• The sun
• The stars
• Nuclear reactors

Chemical energy is energy that is stored in the forces that hold, or bond, the particles of atoms and molecules together. Known as covalent bonds, each one holds a specific amount of energy. Examples of chemical energy as a potential energy form include:

• Natural gas
• Petroleum
• Propane
• Biomass

Electrical energy is a form of kinetic energy that occurs as electrical charges are in motion. This occurs when the electron particles of an atom are forced to move. The following are examples of electrical energy:

• Lightning
• The movement of electrical charges through a wire
• Static electricity

Thermal energy, also known as heat energy or internal energy, is the energy found inside substances. A form of kinetic energy, thermal energy occurs as a result of the movement and vibrations of the molecules and atoms of the substance.

• Geothermal energy
• Volcano
• Boiling a pot of water

Mechanical energy is often referred to as the energy of work. When an object has motion, or the potential of motion, it has mechanical energy. Stored mechanical energy refers to potential energy in objects that is put there by applying force. Examples of stored mechanical energy include:

• A stretched rubber band
• Compressed springs
• A drawn bow

A form of kinetic energy, radiant energy is an electromagnetic radiation energy. This type of energy travels in waves that are transverse. The following are examples of radiant energy:

• Light
• Solar energy
• X-rays
• Gamma rays
• Radio waves
• Ultraviolet rays
• Infrared rays

Although the examples of the six forms of energy may seem simple and clear cut, in reality energy and its various forms is complex. For instance:

• Some types of energy are classified as both potential and kinetic.
• Other energy forms have characteristics that overlap, falling into more than one energy type.
• There are many additional names of energy types such as sound energy, motion energy, wave energy and gravitational energy. There is visible and invisible energy and energy that is renewable and non-renewable.

In one respect the complexity of energy is staggering, yet in another it is very simple. Simply put energy is everything. It is the life force that flows throughout the universe affecting everything and everyone. Leaning to live in harmony with nature, drawing sheng chi into your space is positive energy in its purist form..

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