What laws control energy?
One of the most fundamental laws of physics is that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form into another. For example, if a suspended weight falls, its potential energy becomes kinetic energy. When a car burns fuel, the fuel’s chemical energy is transformed into thermal energy, which in turn, is transformed into kinetic energy by the engine to make the car move. Energy can also be transferred from one object to another. Think about a game of pool. When a moving ball hits a still one, the moving ball stops and the still one begins to move. The majority of the first ball’s kinetic energy has been transferred to the second ball, while a small amount has been converted to thermal energy by the collision. If you could measure the temperature on the surface of each ball, you would find there was a slight rise in temperature at the point of contact. The total amount…
