What is energy?

What is energy?

Energy is a property of matter and radiation that is a measure of the ability of a system to perform work. Energy can take various forms, including thermal energy, electromagnetic energy, mechanical energy, and chemical energy.

In physics, energy is a scalar quantity that is conserved, meaning that the total amount of energy in a closed system remains constant, although it may be transformed from one form to another. Energy is an essential component of many natural and man-made processes, and it is the foundation of many physical and biological systems.

Examples of energy include the heat generated by a fire, the kinetic energy of a moving object, the potential energy stored in an object due to its position or configuration, and the electromagnetic energy of light or other radiation.

Energy is central to many scientific and technological disciplines, including physics, engineering, and chemistry, and it has important implications for society, the environment, and the economy.