Forms of Energy

This quick and fun tutorial about the various types of energy found in nature has an appealing host: a boy who is trying to use his grandfather's old boxcar. As he researches the different kinds of energy involved in propelling the handmade vehicle, the boy learns about the various energy types: kinetic (movement), potential (stored, as in muscles), electrical (e.g., batteries, atomic particles moving quickly), radium (light, solar, radio), sound (vibrations), elastic (balls, bungee cords), gravitational (the bigger the object, the greater the gravitational pull), and chemical. Along the way, viewers will learn how energy is converted from one form to another: the stored energy in arm muscles, for example, is released to hit a ball with a racket (transference of kinetic energy), which in turn makes a sound. On a grander scale, solar energy fuels plant life, which in turn provides energy in converted forms for a wide range of uses. An accessible science lesson featuring clear examples and plenty of relevant vocabulary, this is highly recommended. Aud: I, J, H, P. (T. Keogh)