Chapter6  Energy: The scientific description of changes that take place in the physical world is centered around the concept of energy. The concept of energy is deeply entangled with the idea of objects in motion. Objects in motion are said to have kinetic energy. Stored energy that is capable of causing an object to move in the future is called potential energy. One of the fundamental postulates of science is the Law of Conservation of Energy. It states that energy is neither created nor destroyed in any physical process – it is just converted from one form to another or moved from place to place. The total energy of the universe remains constant. The Law of Conservation of Energy is also known as the First Law of Thermodynamics. The various forms of energy are classified in many ways, depending upon the identity of the objects and the forces acting upon them, the direction of the motion, and whether or not the energy is kinetic or potential. Forms of Energy Thermal energy Translational energy Nuclear energy Rotational energy Electrical energy Vibrational energy Mechanical energy Chemical energy Virtually all forms of energy can be classified as kinetic energy or potential energy. Kinetic energy is a well-defined quantity that is a function of the mass (m) of the moving object and its speed (v) relative to a fixed point. Kinetic Energy = ½ m v2 The basic S.I. unit for all forms of energy is the joule. 1 joule (J) = 1 kg m2 s-2 Note that these units come directly fr