What is Energies: Definition and 314 Discussions

In physics, energy is the quantitative property that must be transferred to a body or physical system to perform work on the body, or to heat it. Energy is a conserved quantity; the law of conservation of energy states that energy can be converted in form, but not created or destroyed. The unit of measurement in the International System of Units (SI) of energy is the joule, which is the energy transferred to an object by the work of moving it a distance of one metre against a force of one newton.
Common forms of energy include the kinetic energy of a moving object, the potential energy stored by an object's position in a force field (gravitational, electric or magnetic), the elastic energy stored by stretching solid objects, the chemical energy released when a fuel burns, the radiant energy carried by light, and the thermal energy due to an object's temperature.
Mass and energy are closely related. Due to mass–energy equivalence, any object that has mass when stationary (called rest mass) also has an equivalent amount of energy whose form is called rest energy, and any additional energy (of any form) acquired by the object above that rest energy will increase the object's total mass just as it increases its total energy. For example, after heating an object, its increase in energy could be measured as a small increase in mass, with a sensitive enough scale.
Living organisms require energy to stay alive, such as the energy humans get from food. Human civilization requires energy to function, which it gets from energy resources such as fossil fuels, nuclear fuel, or renewable energy. The processes of Earth's climate and ecosystem are driven by the radiant energy Earth receives from the Sun and the geothermal energy contained within the earth.

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  1. K

    Electric energies between 2 pt charges

    +2Q and -Q two pt charges are r apart. AS no external agent exists, they attract to each other and each gains +Q/2 after conduction. Like charges repel. At same distance at r, 2*k(2Q)(-Q)/r = 2*k(Q/2)sq /r + 2 KE... but what i want to know is that when is the like charges repel...just after a...
  2. Norman

    Why is QCD non-perturbative at low energies?

    Why is QCD non-perturbative at low energies? In QCD isn't the expansion parameter the fine structure constant? \alpha_s \approx \frac{1}{137} Does this somehow depend on energy, which wouldn't make sense to me. I cannot seem to find a good answer anywhere, so I thought I would ask here...
  3. W

    Thermocouples, seeback effect, fermi energies

    Hello there fellow physicist, Well for my A2 investigation I have done Thermocouples. I investigated the potential difference produced by different metal combinations. Now I need a hypothesis of some sort. What property of a metal will influence the potential difference produced by a...
  4. T

    Which Truck Has Greater Momentum If Both Have the Same Kinetic Energy?

    A simple question: A small truck and a large truck have the same kinetic energies. Which truck has the greater momentum? Justify your answer.
  5. M

    Calculating Proton & Electron Kinetic Energies from Neutron Decay

    A neutron at rest in the laboratory spontaneously decays into a proton, an electron, and a small essentially massless particle called a neutrino. Calculate the kinetic energy of the proton and the electron in each of the following cases: a) the neutrino has no kinetic energy b) the neutrino...
  6. C

    Calculating Max/Min Energies of Particle P1 in Decay of A

    Particle A, at rest, decays into three or more particles: P1, P2, ..., Pn. Determine the maximum and minimum energies that P1 can have in such a decay, in terms of various masses. My solution: First of all, the decay should not occur if the rest mass of A would be smaller than the sum...
  7. D

    Exploring Quantum Energies of 3 P Orbitals

    How would three P orbitals, X,Y,Z, in the same subshell, give the electrons different quantum energies?
  8. F

    How Does the Uncertainty Principle Affect Vacuum Energy?

    The following is from a book I'm reading: (With regard to uncertainty and vacuums) can someone explain what's going on there.
  9. C

    Friction, energies and variable distance

    Suppose you have a rail with two springs on the sides, both with the same constant K. The length of the rail is L, and the length of each spring is D (when not contracted or elongated). On that rail you have an object of mass M (which may be treated as a point particle), and the coefficient of...
  10. N

    Two particles have equal kenetic energies

    if two particles have equal kenetic energies, do they have the same momentum?
  11. S

    Hyperfine and fine structure ENERGIES

    What are the approximate relative sizes of the following energies? a) The n = 1 to n = 2 energy difference in hydrogen and the rest mass mc^2 of an electron b) The n = 1 to n = 2 energy difference in hydrogen and a typical fine structure splitting in hydrogen c) A typical fine...
  12. I

    Ionization Energies Calculation

    How do you go about calculating the ionization energies from atoms? Electron affinities? (KJ/mol) for example, "Calculate the change in energy from the first and fourth ionization energies of Be?" Recently on a test (CHEM AP HIGH SCHOOL), I had a question similar to this on an exam. I...
  13. radagast

    Neutron energies at which C14 is produced

    Some time back a friend (PhD Nuclear Engineer), told me that the energies a neutron needed to form C14 from nitrogen were (and this is where my memory gets real fuzzy) around 15 MEV. Furthermore that neither nuclear explosions or the Sun produced neutrons of this energy. The implications were...
  14. G

    Exploring the Mystical Energies of Life

    I wasn't sure where to put this post, it's mostly theoretical. Lately, I've begun some research. Mostly about the mind- not the brain. I believe that we as humans have some outstanding quality that distinguishes us from animals... and it is our minds. I'm very young, by the way, but I've...
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