Energy
Jonny Nelson introduces an animated explanation of electromagnetism
Energy can be stored or transferred but it cannot be used up. For example, energy is stored in the chemical bonds of molecules in diesel oil and oxygen molecules in the air. This energy is tranfered in combustion and allows the car to move and accelerate, or reach a certain distance. Where there are energy transferThe different ways in which energy can be transferred from one store to another includes heating, by waves, electric current or by a force moving an object. in a systemAn object or group of objects., the total energy associated with the system stays the same. Energy is measured in joules (J).
Learn more on energy stores and systems in this podcast
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Energy stores
There are eight energy stores which are used to keep track of energy in a system.
| Energy store | Description | Examples |
| Magnetic | The energy stored when like poles are pushed closer together or when unlike poles are pulled further apart. | Fridge magnets, compasses and maglev trains which use magnetic levitation. |
| Thermal | In most cases this is the vibrations of the particles in the object. In hotter objects, the particles vibrate faster. | The human bodies, hot coffees, stoves or hobs. Also: ice particles vibrate slower, but still have energy. |
| Chemical | The energy store associated with chemical bonds, such as those between molecules. | Food, muscles, electrical cells. |
| Kinetic | The energy associated with a moving object. | Runners, busses, comets. |
| Electrostatic | The energy stored when like charges are moved closer together or when unlike charges are pulled further apart. | Thunderclouds, Van De Graaff generators. |
| Elastic | The energy stored when an object is stretched, squashed or twisted. | Drawn catapults, compressed springs, inflated balloons. |
| Gravitational | The energy associated with an object at height. | Aeroplanes, kites, mugs on a table. |
| Nuclear | The energy associated with nuclear interactions. | Nuclear fusion of hydrogen and helium in the Sun, Uranium-245 undergoing fission. |
| Energy store | Magnetic |
|---|---|
| Description | The energy stored when like poles are pushed closer together or when unlike poles are pulled further apart. |
| Examples | Fridge magnets, compasses and maglev trains which use magnetic levitation. |
| Energy store | Thermal |
|---|---|
| Description | In most cases this is the vibrations of the particles in the object. In hotter objects, the particles vibrate faster. |
| Examples | The human bodies, hot coffees, stoves or hobs. Also: ice particles vibrate slower, but still have energy. |
| Energy store | Chemical |
|---|---|
| Description | The energy store associated with chemical bonds, such as those between molecules. |
| Examples | Food, muscles, electrical cells. |
| Energy store | Kinetic |
|---|---|
| Description | The energy associated with a moving object. |
| Examples | Runners, busses, comets. |
| Energy store | Electrostatic |
|---|---|
| Description | The energy stored when like charges are moved closer together or when unlike charges are pulled further apart. |
| Examples | Thunderclouds, Van De Graaff generators. |
| Energy store | Elastic |
|---|---|
| Description | The energy stored when an object is stretched, squashed or twisted. |
| Examples | Drawn catapults, compressed springs, inflated balloons. |
| Energy store | Gravitational |
|---|---|
| Description | The energy associated with an object at height. |
| Examples | Aeroplanes, kites, mugs on a table. |
| Energy store | Nuclear |
|---|---|
| Description | The energy associated with nuclear interactions. |
| Examples | Nuclear fusion of hydrogen and helium in the Sun, Uranium-245 undergoing fission. |
A store is not a physical place, and energy is not a physical substance. The idea of an energy store is to allow calculations to be made and to state how many joules are available for an action to happen. Each of the stores has an equation associated with it.