The 15 types of energy: what are they?

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. Move the cars to circulate on the highway, make the planes fly to take us to our destination vacation, allows us to have light in our home, that we can watch television and that our organs work correctly.

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Different types of energy

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

1. Mechanical energy

This kind of energy is associated with the movement and position of an object normally in some force field (for example, the gravitational field). It is usually divided into transitory and stored.

Transient energy is energy in motion, that is, 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 leathers that are in motion. If it doesn't move, it doesn't have kinetic energy. It depends on the mass and speed of the body, that is, the heavier a thing is, and the faster it moves, the more kinetic energy it has. Can be transferred from one object to another when the two bodies hit. The wind moving the blades of a mill is kinetic energy.

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3. Potential energy

Potential energy it is also a type of mechanical energy, specifically the 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. Each object can have potential energy but gravitational energy is stored only at the height of the object. Every time 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 therefore energy is transferred through the substance in a wave.

6. Electric power

Matter is made up of atoms, which are made up of electrons constantly moving. The movement of these electrons depend on the amount of energy it has, 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 carry this energy. However, certain materials cannot transport energy in this way, and they are called insulators.

Electrical energy is that caused inside conductive materials and basically causes three effects: luminous, thermal and magnetic. Electric energy is what 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 higher its thermal energy.

To exemplify this type of energy, let's imagine a hot cup of tea. Tea has thermal energy in the form of kinetic energy from its vibrating particles. When some cold milk is poured into hot tea some of this energy is transferred from the tea to the milk. Then the cup of tea will be colder because it lost heat energy due to 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). 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 transforms into a completely new substance.

To delve into this type of energy, you can view the audiovisual content shown below:

9. Magnetic energy

It is a type of energy that originates from the energy generated by certain magnets. These magnets create magnetic fields permanent and as well 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. Nuclear fission and nuclear decay are examples of this type of energy.

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

11. Radiant energy

Radiant energy, also known as electromagnetic energy, 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.

12. Wind power

Wind energy is a type of kinetic energy that is obtained from the wind. It is used to produce another type of energy, mainly electrical energy. It is a type of renewable energy energy, and the main means to obtain it are the "windmills" which may vary in size.

13. Solar energy

Solar energy is also a type of renewable energy, which is obtained by capturing the light and heat emitted by the Sun. Solar panels are usually used for their reuptake and 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 solar collectors
• Thermoelectric: indirectly converts heat into electrical energy.

14. Hydraulic energy

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

15. Light energy

It is the energy transported by light, but it should not be confused with radiant energy, since 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.