Any form of energy can be transformed into another form. The process of energy transformation is also known as energy conversion. Energy doesn't disappear — it just changes forms. This process is happening all the time. In this lesson, you will consider how energy can change from one form to another.

An energy transformation is the change of energy from one form to another. Energy transformations occur everywhere every second of the day. There are many different forms of energy, such as electrical, thermal, nuclear, mechanical, electromagnetic, sound, and chemical. Because the law of conservation of energy states that energy is always conserved in the universe and simply changes from one form to another, many energy transformations are taking place constantly.

In the previous lesson, you saw how electrical energy can be used in a circuit to turn on a light. When energy is converted or changed from one form into another (such as when electrical energy is changed into light), the process can be described using these three terms:

• Input refers to the type of energy you start with. In most household energy conversions, electrical energy is the input energy.

• Converter refers to the device or appliance that is used to convert the input energy to another form.

• Output refers to the type of energy that is the result of the conversion.

 

In the example above, the energy input is coming from electrical energy, the converter is the light bulb, and the energy output is the light (and heat) energy!

 

 

The energy in food can be transformed into energy to play. Chemical energy from coal, oil, natural gas can be transformed into heat energy (process of burning the fuel). The heat energy can be converted into kinetic energy by gas turbines or into electrical energy by generators.

Let's take a look at a few more examples of energy transformations.

• A toaster transforms electrical energy into thermal energy.
• A blender transforms electrical energy into mechanical energy.
• The sun transforms nuclear energy into ultraviolet, infrared, and gamma energy — all forms of electromagnetic energy.
• Our bodies convert chemical energy from food into mechanical and electrical energy to allow us to move.
• A natural gas stove converts chemical energy from burning into thermal energy used to cook food.