Theconservation of energy principlestates that energy can neither be destroyed nor created. Instead, energy just transforms from one form into another. So what exactly is energy transformation? Well, as you might guess,energy transformationis defined as the process of changing energy from one form to another.

There are so many different kinds of energy that can transform from one form to another. There is energy from chemical reactions calledchemical energy, energy from thermal processes calledheat energy, and energy from charged particles calledelectrical energy. The processes offission, which is splitting atoms, andfusion, which is combining atoms, give us another type of energy callednuclear energy. And finally, the energy of motion, kinetic energy, and the energy associated with position, potential energy, are collectively calledmechanical energy.

That sounds like quite a lot, doesn't it? Well it is, but don't worry, it's actually all pretty easy to remember. Next, we'll explore all of these kinds of possible transformations in more detail.

Different Types of Energy TransformationsChemical energyis the energy stored within a substance through the bonds of chemical compounds. The energy stored in these chemical bonds can be released and transformed during any type of chemical reaction.

Think of when you're hungry. When you eat a piece of bread to satisfy this hunger, your body breaks down the chemical bonds of the bread and uses it to supply energy to your body. In this process, the chemical energy is transformed into mechanical energy, which you use to move, and which we'll cover in more detail in a moment. It also transforms it intothermal energy, which is created through the metabolic processes in your body to generate heat. Most of the time, chemical energy is released in the form of heat, and this transformation from chemical energy to heat, or thermal energy, is called anexothermic reaction.

Next, there are two main types ofmechanical energy: kinetic energy and potential energy.Kinetic energyis the energy associated with the motion of an object. Therefore, any object that moves has kinetic energy. Likewise, there are two types ofpotential energy: gravitational potential energy and elastic potential energy.Gravitational potential energyis associated with the energy stored by an object because of its location above the ground.Elastic potential energyis the energy stored by any object that can stretch or compress. Potential energy can be converted to kinetic energy and vice versa.

For example, when you do a death-defying bungee jump off of a bridge, you are executing a variety of energy transformations. First, as you prepare to jump, you have gravitational potential energy - the bungee cord is slack so there is no elastic potential energy. Once you jump, you convert this gravitational potential energy into kinetic energy as you fall down. At the same time, the bungee cord begins to stretch out. As the cord stretches, it begins to store elastic potential energy. You stop at the very bottom when the cord is fully stretched out, so at this point, you have elastic potential energy. The cord then whips you back up, thereby converting the stored elastic potential energy into kinetic energy and gravitational potential energy. The process then repeats.

Electrical energyis the energy carried by charged particles as they move around a conductor. A perfect example of electrical energy being released is during a lightning storm. A lightning strike on a tree is an example of electrical energy being transformed into heat or thermal energy. The tree becomes hot and may even burn as a result of the electrical discharge.

Chemical energy can also be converted into electrical energy. For example, the chemical energy in a battery is converted into electrical energy. The electrical energy, which involves the motion of electrical charges or currents, can be used to power everyday devices like computers and flashlights.