ENERGY TRANSFORMATIONS

==The Law of Conservation of Energy== Energy can never be created or destroyed it can only change from one form to another ==Energy Transformations== Energy transformations can be written like an equation with the the form of energy we start with on the left, an arrow and the form of energy we end up with on the right. ===[image:http://i.imgur.com/ft50DxU.png?1]=== Chemical Potential Energy ⇒ Heat & Kinetic Energy ===[image:http://i.imgur.com/7R6FmWb.png?1]=== Light (Radiant) Energy ⇒ Chemical Potential Energy ===[image:http://i.imgur.com/GTqSsfp.png]=== Elastic Potential Energy ⇒ Kinetic Energy ===[image:http://i.imgur.com/oOOSWFv.png]=== Chemical Potential Energy ⇒ Electrical Energy ===[image:http://i.imgur.com/3gbiFkx.png?1]=== Electrical Energy ⇒ Light & Heat Energy ===[image:http://i.imgur.com/eWJANHA.png?1]=== A hydro-electric dam uses the gravitational potential energy stored in a body of water (note the water in the reservoir / lake is much higher than the water flowing in the river below. As the water flows down through the turbine it loses its gravitational potential energy and gains kinetic energy. The spinning turbine is attached to a generator which converts the kinetic energy into electrical energy. This can be summarised as follows: Gravitational Potential ⇒ Kinetic ⇒ Electrical Energy The gravitational potential energy stored in the water ultimately comes from the sun. Energy from the sun is what causes the water to evaporate and eventually it rains bak down in the reservoir / lake. Virtually all sources of energy on the planet originate from the sun. [image:http://i.imgur.com/q6ZEsDN.png] Many power stations convert chemical potential energy into heat by burning coal. The heat produced is used to boil water and the steam produced spins a turbine. In this way the heat energy in converted into kinetic energy. The turbine is attached to a generator that converts the kinetic energy into electrical energy. This can be summarised as follows: Chemical Potential Energy ⇒ Heat Energy ⇒ Kinetic Energy ⇒ Electrical Energy