Conservation of Energy

What is the underlying principle behind George's activities in the morning?

What type of energy does George's body convert during breakfast?

What determines the kinetic energy of an object?

What type of energy does the TV convert during operation?

What is the definition of energy?

Which type of energy is associated with an object's position?

What is the name of the scientific principle that states energy cannot be created or destroyed?

What is the type of energy an object possesses when it is at a height?

What happens to the gravitational potential energy of the ball when it is released?

What is the term for the energy that is transferred from one form to another?

What type of energy is converted to kinetic energy when George pushes off down the mountain on his skis?

What causes George to slow down as he approaches the bottom of the mountain?

What is the result of the conversion of kinetic energy to thermal energy due to friction?

What is the significance of Albert Einstein's theory of Special Relativity in relation to energy and matter?

What is the principle that states that matter and energy together must always be conserved?

The Law of Conservation of Energy, also known as the First Law of Thermodynamics, states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another.
Energy is conserved, meaning the total amount of energy remains the same before and after any process.

Energy is the ability to do work or cause change.
There are two general kinds of energy: kinetic energy and potential energy.
Kinetic energy is the energy of motion, depending on an object's mass and velocity.
Example: George and Ellie running at the same speed, but George having more mass and doing more work, resulting in higher kinetic energy.

Potential energy is the energy of position, often thought of as stored energy ready to be used later.
There are two types of potential energy: elastic potential energy (objects that can be stretched) and gravitational potential energy (objects at a height).
Example: The ball held above a person's head has gravitational potential energy, which is transferred to kinetic energy when released.

Energy conversions occur frequently in daily life, such as George's activities: chasing a ball (potential to kinetic energy), eating food (chemical to mechanical energy), and watching TV (electrical to electromagnetic energy).
Example: George skiing down a mountain, converting gravitational potential energy to kinetic energy and briefly back to potential energy while in the air, then losing kinetic energy to thermal energy due to friction.

Albert Einstein's theory of Special Relativity showed that energy can be created by destroying matter in nuclear reactions.
Matter and energy can be converted from one to the other, and together they must always be conserved.