The 15 types of energy: what are they?

Electrical, kinetic... types of energy abound, and they help us technologically.

There are different meanings for the word energy, but it is usually considered as the force of action or work force that causes changes in something, be it matter, organisms, objects, etc.

Energy is a basic element in nature. It moves cars to drive on the highway, makes airplanes fly to take us to our vacation destination, allows us to have light in our home, to watch television and for our organs to function properly.

Different types of energy

Energy can be created, stored or transferred from one place to another or from one object to another object in different ways. Here we show you a list of the different types of energy.

1. Mechanical energy

This type of energy is associated with the motion and position of an object usually in some force field (e.g., gravitational field). (e.g. gravitational field). It is usually divided into transient and stored.

Transient energy is energy in motion, i.e. energy that is transferred from one place to another. Stored energy is the energy contained within a substance or object.

2. Kinetic energy

It is a type of mechanical energy, which is associated with hides that are in motion. If it does not move, it has no kinetic energy. It depends on the mass and speed of the body, i.e. the heavier a thing is, and the faster it moves, the more kinetic energy it has. It can be transferred from one object to another when the two bodies hit each other. Wind moving the blades of a windmill is kinetic energy.

3. Potential energy

Potential energy is also a type of mechanical energyspecifically stored energy. To understand the difference between kinetic and potential energy, you can watch the video below.

4. Gravitational energy

It is also important to understand the difference between potential energy and gravitational energy. Every object can have potential energy but gravitational energy is stored only in the height of the object. is stored only in the height of the object. Whenever a heavy object is held high, a force or power is likely to keep it in balance so that it does not fall.

5. Sound or acoustic energy

Music not only makes us dance, but sound also contains energy. In fact, sound is the movement of energy through substances in longitudinal waves. Sound is produced when a force causes an object or substance to vibrate, and thus energy is transferred through the substance in a wave. and, therefore, energy is transferred through the substance in a wave.

6. Electrical energy

Matter is made up of atoms, which are composed of constantly moving electrons. electrons that are constantly moving. The movement of these electrons depends on the amount of energy they have, which is what I meant by potential energy. Humans can cause these electrons to move from one place to another with special means (materials) called conductors, which transport this energy. However, certain materials cannot carry energy in this form, and are called insulators.

Electrical energy is the energy caused inside conductive materials and causes basically three effects: luminous, thermal and magnetic. Electrical energy is the energy that reaches our homes and that we can observe when a light bulb is turned on.

7. Thermal energy

Thermal energy is known as the energy that comes from the temperature of matter. The hotter a substance is, the more molecules vibrate, and therefore the greater its thermal energy. and, therefore, the greater its thermal energy.

To exemplify this type of energy, let's imagine a hot cup of tea. The tea has thermal energy in the form of kinetic energy because of its vibrating particles. When some cold milk is poured into the hot tea some of this energy is transferred from the tea to the milk. So, the cup of tea will be colder because it lost thermal energy due to the cold milk. The amount of thermal energy in an object is measured in Joules (J)..

You can learn more about mechanical, light and electrical energy in the following video:

8. Chemical energy

Chemical energy is the energy stored in the bonds of chemical compounds (atoms and molecules). It is released in a chemical reaction, often producing heat. (exothermic reaction). Batteries, oil, natural gas and coal are examples of stored chemical energy. Normally, once chemical energy is released from a substance, that substance is transformed into a completely new substance.

To learn more about this type of energy, you can view the audiovisual content below:

9. Magnetic energy

It is a type of energy that originates from the energy generated by certain magnets. These magnets create permanent magnetic fields permanent and thus as energy that can be used in different sectors.

10. Nuclear energy

Nuclear energy is energy resulting from nuclear reactions and changes in atomic nuclei or nuclear reactions. or nuclear reactions. Nuclear fission and nuclear decay are examples of this type of energy.

You can learn how a nuclear power plant works in this video:

11. Radiant energy

Radiant energy, also known as electromagnetic energy, is possessed by electromagnetic waves. For example, any form of light has electromagnetic energy, including parts of the spectrum that we cannot see. Radio, gamma rays, X-rays, microwaves and ultraviolet light are other examples of electromagnetic energy. are other examples of electromagnetic energy.

12. Wind energy

Wind energy is a type of kinetic energy obtained from the wind. It is used to produce other types of energy, mainly electrical energy. It is a type of renewable energy, and the main means of obtaining it is wind power. the main means of obtaining it are "windmills", which can vary in size. which can vary in size.

13. Solar energy

Solar energy is also a type of renewable energy, obtained by capturing the light and heat emitted by the sun. Solar panels are usually used for its collection and there are two types of solar energy. there are two types of solar energy:

• Photovoltaic: transforms the sun's rays into electricity through the use of solar panels.
• Photothermal: uses heat to make energy thanks to the solar collectors.
• Thermoelectric: converts heat into electrical energy indirectly.

14. Hydropower

Again, a type of renewable energy, which has gravitational potential energy. possesses gravitational potential energy and, if dropped, also contains kinetic energy, since it uses the movement of water to produce this energy.

15. Light energy

This is the energy transported by light, but it should not be confused with radiant energy, since in the latter, not all lengths of light are in the latter, not all wavelengths carry the same amount of energy.. Light energy is capable of tanning or burning our skin, so it can be used, for example, to melt metals.