Work and heat energy
The energy mainly comes under two forms: work-energy and heat-energy. The former can be fully transformed into the latter, but not vice-versa because the heat tends to disperse.
The energy that produces work can again be divided into potential and kinetic energy. Potential energy is connected to the respective positions of two bodies, for example the gravity pull increases insofar as the distance between a body and the centre of the Earth increases. Kinetic energy is the energy of the chaotic movement of molecules.
By throwing a ball up into the air, its kinetic energy increases. While moving upwards, the ball looses kinetic energy and increases its potential energy. When the topmost point is reached, the potential energy reaches its peak and the kinetic energy is nil, and the ball starts falling down. During its downfall, the ball increases its kinetic energy while the potential energy decreases. By bouncing on the ground, the ball transfers part of its kinetic energy to the Earth as heat.
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From the Multimedia section
Facts
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Where does energy come from?
Every day the Earth receives enough solar energy to satisfy the global energy need...
Electricity and electrons
In all electric plants, excluding photovoltaic solar plants, mechanic energy is transformed into electric energy through the same basic procedure...
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The age of coal starts towards the mid 1600s, stimulated by the need for finding an alternative energy source to…
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Geographical distribution of energy
Every day the Earth receives enough solar energy to satisfy the global energy need. Unfortunately we cannot exploit all this…
Orimulsion
In order to improve supply security, and therefore the diversification of sources to produce electric energy...
Cracking operations
At the end of the fractional distillation, long hydrocarbon molecules can be transformed into lighter molecules by means of more…
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ITER fusion reactor
The reactor that will be able to produce electronuclear energy without risk of explosion or radioactive waste...
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2 March 2011
Where does energy come from?
Every day the Earth receives enough solar energy to satisfy the global energy need...
Electricity and electrons
In all electric plants, excluding photovoltaic solar plants, mechanic energy is transformed into electric energy through the same basic procedure...
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Peat and peat-bogs
The age of coal starts towards the mid 1600s, stimulated by the need for finding an alternative energy source to…
Geographical distribution of energy
Every day the Earth receives enough solar energy to satisfy the global energy need. Unfortunately we cannot exploit all this…
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Orimulsion
In order to improve supply security, and therefore the diversification of sources to produce electric energy...
Cracking operations
At the end of the fractional distillation, long hydrocarbon molecules can be transformed into lighter molecules by means of more…
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Where does energy come from?
Every day the Earth receives enough solar energy to satisfy the global energy need...
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Electricity and electrons
In all electric plants, excluding photovoltaic solar plants, mechanic energy is transformed into electric energy through the same basic procedure...
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Peat and peat-bogs
The age of coal starts towards the mid 1600s, stimulated by the need for finding an alternative energy source to…