Forms of Energy

Energy comes in six forms: chemical energy, electrical energy, radiant energy,
mechanical energy, nuclear energy and thermal energy. These six forms of
energy are all related. Each form can be converted or changed into the other
forms. For example, when wood burns, its chemical energy changes into thermal
(heat) energy and radiant (light) energy.
Not all energy conversions are as simple as burning wood. An automobile engine
is a complex tool that converts the chemical energy in a fuel into mechanical
energy, the energy of motion.
Chemical Energy
Energy stored in the bonds between atoms in molecules is chemical energy.
For example, in photosynthesis plants take in radiant energy from sunlight. This
solar energy is stored in complex chemical compounds such as starches and
sugars. The stored energy is released when these compounds break down into
simpler compounds.
When you eat plant or animal tissue, your digestive system adds chemicals
called enzymes that help break down the food. Digestion converts stored energy
in food to other forms of energy that your body can use, such as mechanical
energy to walk across the room.
Many energy sources commonly used by humans are forms of chemical energy.
They are usually labeled "fuels." The way to use the chemical energy in most
fuels is by burning them, as we do with wood, natural gas, gasoline, coal, and
others. When these fuels burn, they give off heat, because the chemical reaction
called combustion is an exothermic reaction. That is, the reaction releases
thermal energy in the form of heat.
Some chemicals contain a great deal of energy that can be released all at once.
These chemicals are called explosives. For example, when dynamite explodes, its
chemical energy changes very quickly into thermal and radiant energy and
transfers from a potential state to a kinetic state.
Electrical Energy
Electrical energy is the energy carried by moving electrons in an electric
conductor. It cannot be seen, but it is one of our most useful forms of energy
because it is relatively easy to transmit and use.
All matter consists of atoms, and every atom contains one or more electrons,
which are always moving. When electrons are forced along a path in a
conducting substance such as a wire, the result is energy called electricity.
Electrical generating plants do not create energy. They change other forms of
energy into electricity. For example, power plants can convert chemical energy
stored in fuels into thermal energy, which evaporates water into steam, which
produces mechanical energy as it moves through turbines. The turbines spin
generators, which produce electricity.
Radiant Energy
Atoms absorb energy from an outside source and release (or "emit") this energy
as electromagnetic radiation. This radiation can be in the form of waves of many
different wavelengths or frequencies.
Many energy sources emit radiant energy. The sun and other stars are luminous
or "light-giving" objects that produce radiant energy from nuclear reactions.
Luminescence may result from biological processes (e.g., fireflies), from chemical
reactions like burning kerosene in a lamp, from friction, or from electricity, as in a
light bulb.

Visible light is electromagnetic energy emitted at wavelengths our eyes can see.
Electromagnetic energy emitted at wavelengths we cannot see may take the form
of infrared radiation, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, gamma rays, and radio waves.
Gamma rays have wavelengths much shorter than visible light. Radio waves are
the opposite. Their frequencies are far longer than the longest waves our eyes
can see.
Mechanical Energy
Mechanical energy is the most familiar form of energy. It is the energy a
substance or system has because of its motion. Every moving object has
mechanical energy, whether it is a hammer driving a nail, a leaf falling from a
tree, or a rocket flying in space. Mechanical energy pulls, pushes, twists, turns
and throws.
Machines use mechanical energy to do work. Our bodies also use mechanical
energy to perform motions such as throwing a ball or moving a pencil to write on
paper.
Nuclear Energy
A release of nuclear energy occurs when the nuclei of atoms are changed.
Hydrogen and uranium are two kinds of matter used to produce nuclear energy.
In a nuclear reaction, the tremendous binding energy inside a hydrogen or
uranium nucleus is released.
Nuclear energy is released during atomic fission, when uranium nuclei are split.
It is also released during fusion, when hydrogen nuclei combine to form a helium
nucleus. In fission and fusion, nuclear energy produces thermal energy, which is
given off as heat. Fission's heat is used to generate electric power in hundreds of
locations worldwide. The sun and other stars use fusion to generate radiant and
thermal energy. As stars give off energy, they lose mass. Someday humans may
be able to harness nuclear fusion as well.
Nuclear energy also has other uses. In medicine, it is used in radiation therapy
to treat cancer. The U.S. Navy uses nuclear energy to power some submarines
and large ships. They can stay at sea for long periods without stopping to refuel,
because their nuclear fuel takes up little space.
Thermal Energy
Thermal energy is the energy a substance or system has related to its
temperature, i.e., the energy of moving or vibrating molecules. Atoms and
molecules, the smallest particles of any substance, are always in motion. The
motion of thermal energy is usually not visible, but we can feel or see its effects.
We use thermal energy to cook our food and heat our homes, and we use it to
generate electricity.
Thermal energy is not the same as heat. Heat is energy transferred between
substances or systems due to a temperature difference between them. So it is
correct to say that a system contains thermal energy, but not that it "contains"
heat, since heat means energy that is transferred from one thing to another.
The amount of heat transferred by a substance depends on the speed and
number of atoms or molecules in motion. The faster the atoms or molecules
move, the higher the temperature, and the more atoms or molecules that are in
motion, the greater the quantity of heat they transfer.
In solid substances, the particles' movement is limited, resembling vibration. Add
heat to a solid, and the molecules move faster. When enough heat is added, the
substance melts and becomes a liquid, in which the particles slip and slide past
one another. Adding more heat eventually causes the molecules to bounce
around randomly; the substance becomes a gas. These phase changes occur at
different temperatures, depending on the substance.
Heat Energy
Heat energy (or just heat) is a form of energy which transfers among particles in a
substance (or system) by means of kinetic energy of those particle. In other

words, under kinetic theory, the heat is transfered by particles bouncing into each
other.
The heat energy of a substance is determined by how active its atoms and
molecules are. A hot object is one whose atoms and molecules are excited and
show rapid movement. A cooler object's molecules and atoms will be less excited
and show less movement. When these guys are in the excited state, they take up
a lot of space because they're moving around so fast. When the atoms and
molecules settle down, or cool down, they take up less space.
Sources of Heat Energy
As you have learned, food has energy stored in it which can be released as heat.
Many other substances contain similar energy sources. Fuels are a good example.
Solid fuels, such as coal, liquid fuels, such as gasoline and oil, and gaseous fuels,
such as propane and natural gas, such as propane and natural gas, all contain
chemical energy. This chemical energy can be released as heat through the
chemical process of burning. Just as an automobile engine burns fuel, your body
burns food in the process of digestion. (Digestive burning releases the heat
gradually, so there is no damage to your body.) What foods have you eaten today
to supply the energy your body needs? What would happen if you missed some
meals?
1. Friction
If the particles in a substance move more quickly, the average energy increases, and the temperature of the
substance goes up. You can use the push or pull of a mechanical force to make the particles of a substance move
more quickly. Rub your hands together for 30 s, then place your palms on your cheeks. The heat you feel is the
result of a mechanical force called friction. Often, lubricants, such as oil, are used to decrease friction and the
amount of heat created in machines.
2. Nuclear Reactions
If you have been outside on a summer day, you have felt the heat from the Sun. The Sun produces this heat
through a nuclear reaction. Inside the Sun, atoms of hydrogen are joined together to form a large atom, helium.
In this process, called fusion, a small amount of the mass of the hydrogen atoms is transformed into energy. The
energy release uses Albert Einstein's famous formula, E=mc. (in the formula, E stands for energy in joules, m
stands for mass in kilograms, and c stands for the speed of light in metres per second.) Technologists can also
create nuclear reactions through a process called fission. In a fission nuclear reaction, atoms of a material like
uranium are split into smaller atoms. This splitting also causes a small amount of mass to be transforms into
energy. Controlled nuclear fission can be carried out in a nuclear reactor, such as the Canadian-designed
CANDU reactor.
3. Electricity
As electricity moves through a wire, it causes the particles in the wire to move. If the particles in a substance
move more quickly, the average energy increases, and the substance gets hotter. Some metals release more heat
than others when electricity passes through them. For example, iron releases more heat then copper. In order for
electricity to be used as a source of heat, we must first produce the electricity. There is more than one way to
produce electricity. In Canada, we are lucky to have many large river systems. The energy is moving water can
be used to produce hydroelectricity. Much of our electricity is also produced at generating stations that burn
fuels such as coal, oil, or natural gas, or at nuclear generating stations. Do you know where electricity you use
comes from or how it is created?

10 Superstitious beliefs in the Philippines

Filipino Supersitious Beliefs on Good Luck
1. Throwing rice at newlyweds will bring prosperity throughout their life and they will have good children.
2. If one catches the bride's bouquet after a wedding ceremony, she will also get married soon.
3. One should open his window early in the morning so that grace will come in.
4. A baby born with a big birthmark on its body will be lucky.
5. If ones palm becomes itchy, she will receive some money.
6. When one sees a snake crossing the street, he will have good luck.
7. The placenta should be buried so that the baby will not be a problem child.
8. A person with big ears will have a long life.
9. A baby born with an extra finger is lucky.

10. If a baby cries during his baptism ceremony, it will have a long life.
11. Wishing on the first star that one sees in the evening will make that wish come true.
12. Parents with a child who is a deaf mute are lucky.

Filipino Superstitious Belief on Bad Luck/ Misfortune

1. The bride should not try on her wedding dress before the wedding ceremony; otherwise, the wedding
will not take place.
2. lf one meets a black cat while crossing the road, a misfortune will occur.
3. If during the time a house is being built the carpenter meets with an accident, the owner of the house
will have misfortune in life.
4. A girl who sings before a stove while she cooks will be married to an old widower.
5. If a pregnant woman cuts her hair, she will give birth to a hairless child.
6. One should not decorate a dress with pearls because it means she will shed tears.
7. One should not sit on his books because it will make him dull.
8. A boy who sleeps on a table will someday marry a widow.
9. When an adolescent plays, it will rain.
10. A couple will not be happy in their marriage if loud thunder occurs during their wedding.
11. One should not pay or give money through the window because it will make him poor.
12. If one brings salt near an orange tree, the tree will start to bear sour fruit.