Types of energy and their uses
Energy is all around us and is used for every movement and process that you can think of. Whether this is the energy that we use for our everyday movement, the energy that is needed to get a plane of the ground in take off or the energy that is created in a Hydraulic Power Pack like those from https://www.hydraproducts.co.uk/Hydraulic-Power-Units/Standard-Power-Units, energy really is all around us.
There are a number of different types of energy and they are categorised as:
- Thermal – atoms and molecules with a substance vibrate at faster and faster speeds and as they create more and more energy during this process they start to heat up. This energy transfer then turns into heat.
- Chemical – particles within an atom or molecule are held together with chemical bonds and this where the chemical energy is found. This is where chemical energy can be found in foods and gases.
- Nuclear – this type of energy is stored in the nucleus of atoms and it is released when they are fused together or if the atoms are split apart.
- Electrical – electrons with atoms move as they do so they build up a charge that can then be harnessed in wires and create electricity. Lighting is also an electrical energy source.
- Radiant – this is light energy that travels in waves and includes the energy that is received from the sun and also the waves that are used to take x-rays and other scans.
Energy can also be found as light, motion, sound, elastic and gravitational.
