Mechanical Energy

Mechanical energy is the energy that an object has due to its motion or its stored energy of position. For example: A moving car has mechanical energy due to its motion (kinetic energy). A thrown baseball has mechanical energy due to both its motion (kinetic energy) and its high position above the ground (gravitational potential energy). A drawn bow has mechanical energy due to its stretched position (elastic potential energy). A compressed spring or a drawn rubber band also has elastic potential energy.

Electrical Energy

Electricity is a type of energy that can build up in one place or flow from one place to another. When electricity gathers in one place it is known as static electricity (the word static means something that does not move); electricity that moves from one place to another is called current electricity. Electricity is most often generated at a power station by generators, usually driven by engines fueled by fossil fuels or nuclear fission but also by other means such as the kinetic energy of flowing water and wind. We use energy to light, heat, and cool our homes and buildings, cook our food, wash our clothes, provide entertainment, and power our transportation.

Light Energy

Light energy is the only form of energy we can see. Light is in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Since we can see it we call it a luminous energy. Of course we get most of our light energy from the Sun (solar energy). Plants rely on the sun in order to undergo photosynthesis and we rely on plants to give us food and produce oxygen. So without light energy we would die. It is used widely in solar powered calculators and other such devices.

Thermal Energy

Thermal Energy is the kind of energy that is caused by heat. When thermal energy is applied to a substance, the average speed of the particles or molecules which make up the substance increases -- and it gets warmer! When you boil a pot of water, you are contributing thermal energy or heat to the bottom of the pot. This thermal energy is then transferred to the water inside the pot. As the water molecules move faster, they begin to get hotter.

Sound Energy

Sound is a type of energy made by vibrations. When any object vibrates, it causes movement in the air particles. These particles bump into the particles close to them, which makes them vibrate too causing them to bump into more air particles. This movement, called sound waves, keeps going until they run out of energy. If your ear is within range of the vibrations, you hear the sound. When the vibrations are fast, you hear a high note. When the vibrations are slow, it creates a low note.