MANIFESTATIONS OF ENERGY: 13 EXAMPLES TO UNDERSTAND IT - TECHNOLOGY - 2025

The manifestations of energy include different forms of it. Some examples are the luminous, calorific, chemical, mechanical, electromagnetic, acoustic, gravitational and nuclear, among others.

The primary source of energy used by man is the sun, this being fundamental for the existence of life on earth and from which solar energy is derived, which is accumulated by photovoltaic panels and can be used for different uses. Another energy is that derived from fossil fuels, which is used for transportation and other economic activities.

Every form of energy can be transferred and transformed. This condition represents an immense benefit for the human being, since it can generate energy in one way and take it in another.

Thus, the source of energy can be the movement of a body (water or wind), this energy goes through a series of transformations that finally allow it to be stored in the form of electricity that will be used to light a light bulb.

Although there are numerous manifestations of energy, the two most important are kinetics and potential.

Kinetic energy is that derived from the movement of any body that has a mass, this can include wind energy since there are gas molecules in the air, giving it kinetic energy.

Potential energy is any type of energy that has a stored potential and can be used in the future. For example, water stored in a dam for hydroelectric power generation is a form of potential energy.

Different types of manifestations of energy

1- Chemical energy

It is a form of potential energy that is stored in food, gasoline, or in some chemical combinations.

Some examples include a match being lit, the mixture between vinegar and soda to form CO2, the breaking of light bars to release chemical energy, among others.

It is important to note that not all chemical reactions release energy. Thus, the chemical reactions that produce energy are exothermic and the reactions that need energy to start and continue are endothermic.

2- Electric power

Electrical energy is produced by electrons that move through a specific substance. This type of energy is commonly found in the form of batteries and plugs.

It is in charge of lighting the spaces we inhabit, giving power to the motors and allowing our household appliances and everyday objects to be turned on.

3- Mechanical energy

Mechanical energy is the energy of motion. It is the most common form that we find in our environment, since any object that has a mass and a movement produces mechanical energy.

The movements of machines, people, vehicles, among other elements, produce mechanical energy.

4- Acoustic energy

Acoustic energy is produced when an object is vibrated. This type of energy travels in the form of waves in all directions.

Sound needs a medium to travel, such as air, water, wood, and even certain metals. Therefore, sound cannot travel in an empty medium since there are no atoms that allow the vibration to be transmitted.

Sound waves are transmitted between atoms that pass the sound, as if it were a crowd of people passing the "wave" in the stadium. It is important to note that sound has different frequencies and magnitudes, therefore, it will not always produce the same energy.

Some examples of this type of energy include voices, horns, whistles, and musical instruments.

5- Electromagnetic radiation

Radiation is the combination of heat or heat energy and light energy. This type of energy can also travel in any direction in the form of waves.

This type of energy is known as electromagnetic and can take the form of visible light or invisible waves (such as microwaves or x-rays). Unlike acoustic energy, electromagnetic radiation can travel in a vacuum.

Electromagnetic energy can be converted into chemical energy and stored in plants through the process of photosynthesis.

Other examples include light bulbs, burning coals, oven resistance, the sun, and even car streetlights.

6- Atomic energy

Atomic energy is produced when atoms divide. In this way, a tremendous amount of energy is released. This is how nuclear bombs, nuclear power plants, nuclear submarines or energy from the sun are produced.

Today, nuclear power plants are made possible by fission. The uranium atoms are split and the potential energy contained in their nuclei is released.

The majority of atoms on earth are stable, however, nuclear reactions change the fundamental identity of chemical elements, making it possible for them to mix their nucleus with that of other elements within a fission process (Rosen, 2000).

7- Thermal energy

Thermal energy is directly related to temperature. This is how this type of energy can flow from one object to another, since the heat will always move towards an object or medium with a lower temperature.

This can be illustrated when a cup of tea gets cold. Actually, the phenomenon that takes place is that the heat flows from the tea into the air of the place that is at a lower temperature.

Temperature flows spontaneously from the higher-temperature body to the closer lower-temperature body, until both objects achieve thermal equilibrium.

There are materials that are easier to heat or cool than others, in this way, the thermal capacity of a material gives information on the amount of energy that said material can store.

8- Elastic energy

The elastic energy can be stored mechanically in a compressed gas or liquid, an elastic band or a spring.

On an atomic scale, the stored elastic energy is seen as a temporary localized tension between the bonding points of the atoms.

This means that it does not represent a permanent change for the materials. Simply, the joints absorb energy as they are stressed and release it when they relax.

9- Metabolic energy

This energy is what living beings obtain from the chemical energy it contains from nutrients. The metabolism combines that chemical energy necessary for organisms to grow and reproduce.

10- Light energy

Also known as luminous. It is that energy that generates and transports light waves, generally acting as a particle (photons) or an electromagnetic wave. They can be of two types: natural (transmitted by the Sun) or artificial (generated by other energies such as electricity).

11- Wind energy

Thus the one obtained from the wind, usually thanks to the use of windmills. It is a kinetic energy that serves to produce other energies such as electricity.

12- Surface energy

It refers to the degree of attraction or rejection that the surface of one material exerts with respect to another. The greater the attraction, the level of adherence will be much higher. It is the energy of adhesive tapes.

13- Gravitational energy

It is the relationship between weight and height. Refers to the potential time that gravitational energy is capable of holding an object up high.

References

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