Energy Stores and Transfer Flashcards

Flashcards to help you review energy stores, energy transfers, and the conservation of energy.

What is energy?

Energy is the capacity of a physical system to perform work.

What happens to energy during a marathon run?

Energy is stored in muscles and fatty tissues (chemical energy), then converted to kinetic and thermal energy.

What is kinetic energy?

Energy possessed by an object due to its motion. The faster an object moves, the greater its kinetic energy.

What is the formula for Kinetic Energy (KE)?

KE = 1/2 * m * v^2, where m is mass and v is velocity.

What is gravitational potential energy?

Energy stored in an object due to its position relative to Earth or another gravitational body.

What is the formula for Gravitational Potential Energy (GPE)?

PE = m * g * h, where m is mass, g is gravity, and h is height.

What is chemical energy?

Energy stored in the bonds of chemical compounds.

What is nuclear energy?

Energy stored in the nucleus of an atom, released during nuclear reactions.

What is strain/elastic energy?

Energy stored in a stretched or compressed elastic object.

What is internal energy?

Sum of the kinetic and potential energies of particles within a system.

What is thermal energy?

Energy associated with the temperature of an object or substance.

What is electrical energy?

Energy carried by an electric current or stored in an electric field.

How can energy be transferred by a force?

Lifting an object imparts gravitational potential energy, and applying force to set something in motion imparts kinetic energy.

How can energy be transferred by heating?

Energy is transferred from a hot object to its cooler surroundings.

How can energy be transferred by radiation?

Light from the Sun reaches us, with some of its energy being transferred as infrared and ultraviolet radiation.

How can energy be transferred by electric current?

Electric current serves as a convenient method for transferring energy between locations.

What does the law of conservation of energy state?

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be transformed, transferred, or stored. Energy changes from one form to another.

What is the definition of Energy?

Energy is anything that can make matter move or change.

What is mechanical energy?

Mechanical energy is the total amount of kinetic energy and potential energy in a system.

What is chemical potential energy?

Chemical potential energy is energy stored in chemical bonds.

What is gravitational potential energy?

Gravitational potential energy is anything that can fall has stored energy.

What is nuclear energy?

Nuclear energy is potential energy of an atom used to generate heat, turn turbines and produce electricity.

What is light energy?

Light energy comes from the sun. For example, sun powers solar panels, which are used for electricity.

What is chemical energy and where can it be found?

The energy stored in the bonds of atoms and molecules. It is found in food, petrol and batteries.

What is elastic energy and where can it be found?

The energy stored in an elastic object such as a coiled spring or a stretched elastic band.

What is nuclear energy?

Energy stored in the nucleus of an atom. It is released when an atom undergoes nuclear fission or fusion.

What is gravitational energy?

Energy associated with the force of gravity. The higher an object is, the greater the gravitational energy that it possesses.

What is electrical energy?

The movement of electrons along a conductive material such as copper wire.

What is thermal (heat) energy?

Energy created from the movement of atoms and molecules in a substance. The faster they move, the more energy they possess.

What is radiant energy?

Also known as light and electromagnetic energy. Travels in waves and includes visible light, x-rays, radio waves and ultraviolet light.

What is mechanical energy?

Moving energy seen in the motion of objects such as a flowing river, a moving car and a person walking.

What is sound energy?

Energy that moves through substances causing them to vibrate. When these substances vibrate we hear this as sound.

What two factors affect kinetic energy?

Mass and Speed

What three factors affect gravitational potential energy?

Height, Mass and Gravitational Acceleration

What does the principle of conservation of energy state?

Energy cannot be created or destroyed in an isolated system; it can only be transformed from one form to another or transferred between objects.

What are three reasons most wasted energy is transferred away as heat?

Friction, Air resistance and Sound

What is energy efficiency?

The fraction of energy supplied that is usefully transferred.

What is the formula for efficiency?

Efficiency = Useful Energy Output / Total Energy Output

What is the formula for percentage efficiency?

Percentage Efficiency = (Useful Energy Output / Total Energy Output) * 100%