Which statement about energy is true?

Which statement about energy is true?

• A. Kinetic energy is stored energy
• B. Electrical energy is the only form of energy that can do work
• C. Kinetic energy is energy of motion
• D. Energy cannot be transformed from one form to another

Answer: (C)

Energy is the capacity to do work and comes in many forms, including kinetic energy—the energy something has because it is moving. Kinetic energy depends on both mass and speed: heavier and faster objects carry more kinetic energy, which is why motion itself is a form of energy ready to do work. That makes the statement that kinetic energy is energy of motion true. What about the other ideas? Energy stored for later use is called potential energy, not kinetic energy. And many forms of energy can perform work, not just electrical energy—for example, a falling object uses gravitational potential energy to convert it into kinetic energy, or a moving object uses its kinetic energy to do work on another object. Since energy can change from one form to another, the claim that energy cannot be transformed is incorrect.

Energy is the capacity to do work and comes in many forms, including kinetic energy—the energy something has because it is moving. Kinetic energy depends on both mass and speed: heavier and faster objects carry more kinetic energy, which is why motion itself is a form of energy ready to do work. That makes the statement that kinetic energy is energy of motion true.

What about the other ideas? Energy stored for later use is called potential energy, not kinetic energy. And many forms of energy can perform work, not just electrical energy—for example, a falling object uses gravitational potential energy to convert it into kinetic energy, or a moving object uses its kinetic energy to do work on another object. Since energy can change from one form to another, the claim that energy cannot be transformed is incorrect.