6th Grade Science Forms of Energy

Energy

Ability to do work

Sound Energy

Produced by vibrations through a medium

Radiant Energy

Electromagnetic waves transmit energy

Thermal Energy

Energy due to the movement of molecules or particles

Mechanical Energy

Total potential & kinetic energy due to large scale motion of an object

Kinetic Energy

Energy of motion

Potential Energy

Stored energy

Nuclear Energy

Energy produced by the splitting of atoms

Electrical Energy

Movement of charged particles

Chemical Energy

Energy stored in matter due to bonding

Gravitational Potential Energy

Energy due to an object's mass and its height above the Earth

Elastic Potential Energy

Energy due to the flexibility of an object

Work

Transfers energy, requires a force acting in the SAME direction as an object's movement

Joules

Unit for measuring Energy

f x d (force x distance)

Work

m x h (mass x height)

Gravitational Potential Energy (GPE)

Energy transformation

The process of changing one form of energy into another form of energy (Ex. chemical to mechanical)

Transfer

Moving energy from one object to another

Friction

Kinetic energy is lost as

Waste Heat

Energy that is "lost" or can't be used