Changes in energy stores

• Energy can be described as being in different 'stores', which cannot be created or destroyed but can be transferred, dissipated or stored in different ways.
• Energy stores include magnetic, internal (thermal), chemical, kinetic, electrostatic, elastic potential, and gravitational potential.
• Examples of energy stores include fridge magnets, compasses, maglev trains which use magnetic levitation.
• The energy stored when repelling poles have been pushed closer together or when attracting poles have been pulled further apart is known as magnetic energy.
• The total kinetic and potential energy of the particles in an object, in most cases this is the vibrations - also known as the kinetic energy - of particles, is known as internal (thermal) energy.
• In hotter objects, the particles have more internal energy and vibrate faster.
• Examples of objects with high internal (thermal) energy include human bodies, hot coffees, stoves or hobs.
• Chemical energy is the energy stored in chemical bonds, such as those between molecules.
• Examples of objects with high chemical energy include foods, muscles, electrical cells.
• Kinetic energy is the energy of a moving object.
• Examples of objects with high kinetic energy include runners, buses, comets.
• Electrostatic energy is the energy stored when repelling charges have been moved closer together or when attracting charges have been pulled further apart.
• Elastic potential energy is the energy stored when an object is stretched or squashed.