Energy transformation is the process of converting energy from one form to another. This occurs in the world and within people, such as when food is consumed. Machines and systems also convert energy, with varying efficiencies. Energy is lost during transformation, often as heat.
Energy transformation is the process of transforming energy from one form to another. This process happens all the time, both in the world and within people. When people consume food, the body uses the chemical energy in the bonds of the food and transforms it into mechanical energy, a new form of chemical energy or heat energy. Energy transformation is an important concept in the application of the physical sciences. The ability of energy to be transformed automates, illuminates, entertains and warms the world in a bewildering multitude of ways.
The concept of energy transformation can be illustrated in a number of common activities. An engine, like a car engine, converts the chemical energy of the gas and oxygen into the mechanical energy of the engine’s motion. A light bulb changes the chemical energy of the light bulb into electromagnetic radiation or light. Windmills harness the energy of the wind and convert it into mechanical energy in the movement of the turbine blades, which is then converted into electrical energy. Solar panels transform light into electricity.
The transformation of energy can also be explained in terms of potential energy, the energy stored in a system, which can be converted into kinetic energy, the energy of motion. For example, a roller coaster sitting on top of a hill is said to have potential energy. This potential energy is gravitational, which is obtained as the roller coaster moves up the hill. Once the coaster starts to roll down the hill, gravity is exerted and the potential energy is transformed into the kinetic energy of the moving car. During energy transformations, potential energy is often transformed into kinetic energy and back into potential energy.
During any type of energy transformation, part of the energy is lost into the environment. Because of this loss, no machine is ever 100% efficient. Commonly, some of the energy lost during energy transformation is lost as heat. This can be observed in practice by observing the heat given off by a computer, car or other type of machine that has been used over a period of time.
The ability of a given machine or system to convert between forms of energy is called its “energy conversion efficiency”. All systems have different energy conversion efficiencies. Water turbines, for example, have extremely high energy conversion efficiencies of nearly 90%, while combustion engines have 10% to 50% conversion efficiencies. Engineering and physics are constantly looking for systems capable of achieving high energy conversion efficiency.
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