Understanding Energy and Its Transformations

1️⃣ What is energy? **Energy** is basically the **ability to do work** or cause change.

It comes in different forms, but it’s **always conserved** in a closed system (the

**Law of Conservation of Energy**). Some common types: * **Kinetic energy (KE):** energy of

motion — anything moving has KE. where (m) is mass and (v) is speed. * **Potential energy

(PE):** stored energy due to position — like a ball on a table or a stretched spring.

* **Gravitational PE:** ( U = m g h ) (mass × gravity × height)

* **Other forms:** chemical energy (food, batteries), thermal energy,

elastic energy, etc. **Key idea:** Energy can **change forms**, but the **total