Read and Learn

Energy Vocabulary

Energy: The ability to do work

Mechanical energy: energy associated with motion

Heat energy: internal motion of particles of matter

Chemical energy: energy that bonds atoms or ions

Electromagnetic energy: energy of moving electric charges

Nuclear energy: energy in the nucleus of an atom

Potential energy: energy stored in an object due to its position

Kinetic energy: energy that a moving object has due to its motion

Conversion of energy: change from one form of energy to another

Fossil fuel: fuel formed over millions of years by buried plant and animal remains.

As the remains are buried deeper over time, heat and pressure transform them into

fossil fuels such as coal, oil, or natural gas.

Solar power: (also radiant energy) energy given off by the sun

Wind power: energy provided by the movement of wind currents

Water power: (also hydropower) energy provided by the movement of water

Renewable resource: a resource which can be used repeatedly without affecting

the supply

Non-renewable resource: a resource which is depleted with use, or can not be

used again

Reading 1 !

Your Planet Needs You

For thousands of years our planet s given us energy, lots of energy!

But in the process, we ve put our planet under stress and now it needs our help. If we want to keep our planet healthy, we must find better ways of getting and using energy.

What is Energy Anyway?

Energy is the ability to do work. Think of energy as the stuff that makes things happen. Without energy, your body wouldn’t t grow, your car wouldn’t t move, the lights in your house wouldn’t t work, and that s just to name a few.

We need energy for everything we do in life, and we need lots of it!

Energy is found everywhere in the world and comes in many forms:

Forms of Energy

• Light
• Heat
• Electricty
• Sound
• Motion

Where does energy come from?

Energy is all around us. It is in the light we see, it is in the food we eat, and it is in the ground we walk on. In fact, energy is everywhere!

The electricity or electrical energy in your house comes from different types of fuels. This energy is often produced far away and is sent along wires into your home.

Our bodies can change the food we eat into energy.

Plants can change sunlight (Solar energy) into useful energy, which makes them grow!

Things like cars, airplanes and buildings use a kind of food which we call fuel. Gasoline, coal and wood are all types of fuel, but there are many more. Think of fuel as stuff that has energy inside, just waiting to get out to do something.

Types of Energy

The energy we use to power things, like our cars and homes, come in two different types: renewable energy and non-renewable energy. Explore the landscape to learn about the two types of energy.

Renewable energy comes from things that won’t run out like wind, water, sunlight, plants and more. These are things we can reuse over and over again. These methods of producing energy are often cleaner and better for our environment than non-renewable ones.

Non-renewable energy comes from things that will run out one day oil, coal, natural gas and uranium. Oil, coal and natural gas are known as fossil fuels. These fuels are produced from animal and plant material that s millions and millions of years old.