Have you ever wondered why you see light, feel heat, hear sound, and what energy is? There are five fundamental forms of energy in nature. Chemical energy is made by the making and breaking of chemical bonds between atoms and molecules. Electromagnetic energy is composed of waves of photons that travel at the speed of light! In fact light is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum that spans from long radio waves to ultra short gamma rays. Heat energy is the vibration of atomic or molecular matter. The faster atoms move the higher their temperature. Heat energy is measured in calories. One calorie is the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celcius. Mechanical energy is the next on our list. This is the energy of motion like throwing a baseball. It is measured by 1/2 the mass of a moving object times its velocity squared (E=1/2 mv²⁾. Nuclear energy is the last on our list. It is the energy that comes from radioactive decay, stars, nuclear reactors, and atomic bombs. I bet you have seen the equation E=mc². This is the mass energy equivalence equation where E=energy in joules, m=mass in kilograms, and c is the speed of light in meters per second (3X10⁸). The conservation of energy law states that "Energy can neither be created or destroyed, only changed in form.                       "Click Here to see the Five Forms of Energy". Note: You need the Real Media player, which is available for free, from this link.

   ********The whole "Forms of Energy Story"********