Forms of Energy
Energy can't be created or destroyed - it just changes form! Mechanical energy is found in all objects and relates to their motion, position, or shape. You can calculate it by adding potential energy (stored energy) and kinetic energy (movement energy): ME = PE + KE.
Nuclear energy is the potential energy stored in an atom's nucleus that gets released during nuclear reactions. Power plants use nuclear fission (splitting atoms) or fusion (putting atoms together) to generate electricity. Thermal energy happens when particles in an object heat up and move faster - that's why liquid water has more thermal energy than ice!
Electrical energy comes from electric charges moving around. You see this energy in lightning, batteries, and power lines. Electromagnetic energy travels through space in waves, like the UV rays that reach us from the sun.
Fun Fact: The energy in one bolt of lightning could power a house for about a month! That's a lot of electrical energy in just one flash!
