Energy Is Everything
What Is Energy?
Energy may be best understood as a potential or presence that allows for
some type of work to be performed. Some of energy's more recognizable
forms are heat, light, mechanical, chemical, and electrical energy. Without
energy we simply would not exist. The universe, if it existed at all, would
be a frigid, barren, motionless void.
Energy is neither created nor destroyed, however it can be converted
from one form to another. This means that while the total amount of
energy in the universe remains constant, the quantity of the different
forms can change relative to one another. For instance, you are probably
reading this site by the light of a nearby lamp. The light bulb has a thin
filament inside, which transforms the electrical energy running from the
wall socket and through the cord to the filament in the bulb where it
is converted into two other forms of energy—light and heat. As the fila-
ment illuminates, there is a reduction in electrical energy and an increase
in light and heat energies. So energy is not lost but transformed to other
forms.
A little bit closer to nutrition, food contains chemical energy in the form
of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and alcohol. Once inside our body the
chemical energy of these substances can be transformed into mechanical
energy to power muscular movement and other activities as well as heat
to maintain our body temperature. Furthermore, we can store these
energy molecules when we cannot immediately use them.
