Energy Stores

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be stored or transferred. There are different types of energy stores, including:

  • Thermal energy
  • Kinetic energy
  • Chemical energy
  • Electrical energy
  • Gravitational potential energy
  • Elastic potential energy
  • Magnetic energy
  • Nuclear energy

Energy Stores

Thermal Energy

Thermal energy is stored in hot objects.

Kinetic Energy

Kinetic energy is stored in moving objects.

Chemical Energy

Chemical energy is stored in food and fuels.

Gravitational Potential Energy

Gravitational potential energy is the energy stored due to the position of an object in its gravitational field. This means, the higher an object is above the ground, the greater the energy will be in its gravitational potential energy store.

For example, let’s look at a bookcase.

The books that are higher on the bookshelf will have a higher store of gravitational potential energy than the books lower down on the shelves.

Elastic Potential Energy

Elastic potential energy is stored when exerting force to deform an elastic object. If we compress a spring, then it will have a large store of elastic potential energy. This energy will be stored until the spring is released.

Electrical Energy

Electrical energy is a type of kinetic energy that is caused by moving electric charges.

Some objects carry electrical charges and create electrical fields. As the objects are charged, they can exert forces on each other.

Charged particles travelling through a wire result in an electric current.

Magnetic Energy

When objects create magnetic fields or become magnetised, they can exert forces on other magnetised objects.

Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy is energy in the nucleus, which is the core of an atom.