P1: energy

• energy Is the ability to do work, cause motion and change. -> cannot be created nor destroyed. -> measured in joules (j)
• Internal (thermal) energy store

  • Human bodies
  • hot coffees
  • stoves or hobs
• Electrostatic energy store

  • Thunderclouds
  • Van De Graaff generators
• Energy dissipation


  Energy can be dissipated or lost to the surroundings
• Chemical energy store

  • Foods
  • muscles
  • electrical cells
• Magnetic energy store

  • Fridge magnets
  • compasses
  • maglev trains which use magnetic levitation
• Energy conservation


  Calculation of energy changes
• Gravitational potential energy store

  • Aeroplanes
  • kites
  • mugs on a table
• Energy


  • The capacity for doing work
• Energy transfers

  Energy can be transferred between different stores
• Types of energy store

  • magnetic
  • internal (thermal)
  • chemical
  • kinetic
  • electrostatic
  • elastic potential
  • gravitational potential
  • nuclear
• Energy cannot be created or destroyed but it can be transferred, dissipated or stored in different ways
• Kinetic energy store

  • Runners
  • buses
  • comets
• Nuclear


  The energy stored in the nucleus of an atom
• Chemical


  The energy stored in chemical bonds, such as those between molecules
• Internal (thermal)

  • Human bodies
  • Hot coffees
  • Stoves or hobs
  • Ice particles vibrate slower, but still have energy
• Nuclear

  • Uranium nuclear power
  • Nuclear reactors
• Magnetic

  • Fridge magnets
  • Compasses
  • Maglev trains which use magnetic levitation
• Internal (thermal)

  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
• Energy stores

  • Gravitational potential
  • Nuclear
  • Magnetic
  • Internal (thermal)
  • Chemical
  • Kinetic
  • Electrostatic
  • Elastic potential
• Kinetic


  The energy of a moving object
• Gravitational potential


  The energy of an object at height
• Electrostatic

  • Thunderclouds
  • Van De Graaff generators
• Gravitational potential

  • Aeroplanes
  • Kites
  • Mugs on a table
• Kinetic

  • Runners
  • Buses
  • Comets
• Electrostatic


  The energy stored when repelling charges have been moved closer together or when attracting charges have been pulled further apart
• Magnetic


  The energy stored when repelling poles have been pushed closer together or when attracting poles have been pulled further apart
• Elastic potential


  The energy stored when an object is stretched or squashed
• Chemical

  • Foods
  • Muscles
  • Electrical cells