What are three examples of how energy can be converted from one form to another?

Question

Jonathan Avila · Accepted Answer

This is a quite complicated question but certainly a nice one:
Consider, for example, a bricklayer:

He picks up a brick from the ground and lifts it to a certain height and in doing this he transforms Chemical Energy (stored into his muscles) into Potential Energy ("stored" into the position of the brick relative to the ground).

But now the brick slips and fall down to the ground; Potential Energy is transformed into Kinetic Energy ("stored" into the movement of the object that moves with a certain velocity) and hits the ground.

Hitting the ground, Kinetic Energy is transformed into Sound Energy (stored into the air variations of pressure) and Internal Energy (the surface gets hotter and energy is stored into the movement of the molecules of the material).

A wonderful “Energy Transformator” that you can always take with you is a Pendulum:

This is a little device that when in movement continuously transforms Potential Energy (at a maximum in A) into Kinetic Energy (at a maximum in B) and vice versa when swinging back and forth. Not only this, energy is also transformed into Internal Energy through friction in C leading to (after a certain amount of time) to completely stop your movement (you used the initial energy to “heat” point C).

Mila Bautista · Answer

undefined Three examples of how energy can be converted from one form to another are:

1. **Mechanical to Electrical Energy Conversion:** This occurs in generators, where mechanical energy (such as from the rotation of turbines or engines) is converted into electrical energy through electromagnetic induction.

2. **Chemical to Thermal Energy Conversion:** When fuels like wood, coal, or gas are burned, chemical energy stored in the bonds of the fuel molecules is converted into thermal energy (heat) through exothermic reactions.

3. **Electrical to Light Energy Conversion:** In light bulbs and LEDs, electrical energy is converted into light energy. The electrical current passing through the filament or semiconductor generates heat and light, with the majority of the energy being transformed into light energy.