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 an object’s position in a gravitational field. This means that the higher an object is above the ground, the greater the amount of energy it will have in its gravitational potential energy store.

For example, consider 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 force is exerted to deform an elastic object. For example, compressing a spring stores a large amount of elastic potential energy in it. This energy will be stored until the spring is released.

Electrical Energy

Electrical energy is a form of energy caused by the movement of electric charges.

Some objects possess electrical charges and create electrical fields. Because they are charged, they can exert forces on each other.

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

Magnetic Energy

Objects that create magnetic fields, or that become magnetised, can exert forces on other magnetised objects.

Nuclear Energy

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