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Expand your knowledge on energy conservation! In this article, we'll define this fundamental principle and explore real-life examples. You'll learn how to calculate it and discover the differences between energy conservation and energy changes. So, get ready to dive deeper into one of the most fundamental concepts in the universe!
Conservation of Energy
"Energy can neither be created nor be destroyed, however, it can either be transferred usefully or stored. This is known as conservation of energy"
In all situations, energy from one store is moved to another store. This implies that the all the energy of the Universe existed during the Big Bang and will remain until the ultimate end of time.
Examples of Conservation of Energy From Everyday Life
Here are some of the examples of conservation of energy from everyday life:
The Skydiver
When a skydiver jumps out of a plane, he begins to lose gravitational potential energy as his height decreases and gains kinetic energy as his speed increases. However, not all of the gravitational potential energy is transferred into kinetic energy. The skydiver has to push against the air as he falls, which means that some of the potential energy is used to do work against the air particles. This work results in the air particles being pushed aside, creating turbulence and resistance. As a result, some of the gravitational potential energy is transferred to the air particles and is stored as internal energy.
Smartphones
Smartphones have batteries that store chemical energy. When a smartphone is used, the battery's chemical energy is converted into electrical energy that powers the screen and produces sound. The screen emits light radiation, while the sound is produced by a vibrating speaker.
However, using a smartphone can also result in the device heating up. This is because the battery's chemical energy is also converted into internal energy, which is stored in the atoms of the smartphone's conductors. These atoms emit infrared radiation, which can cause the device to get warm.
Wind turbines
Wind turbines convert kinetic energy from the wind into electrical energy. The blades of the turbine are pushed by the wind, which causes them to rotate. The rotation of the blades is then transferred to a generator, which converts the kinetic energy into electrical energy.
Pendulums
Pendulums demonstrate the conservation of energy between potential energy and kinetic energy. As a pendulum swings back and forth, it constantly converts potential energy into kinetic energy and back again. At the top of each swing, the pendulum has the most potential energy and the least kinetic energy, while at the bottom of the swing, it has the most kinetic energy and the least potential energy.
Refrigerators
Refrigerators use electrical energy to transfer heat from inside the refrigerator to the outside, which cools the contents inside. The process involves compressing a refrigerant gas, which increases its temperature, and then allowing it to expand and cool down, which absorbs heat. The total energy in the system remains constant, but the temperature inside the refrigerator decreases.
Roller coasters
Roller coasters demonstrate the conservation of energy between potential energy and kinetic energy. As a roller coaster car climbs to the top of a hill, it gains potential energy, which is converted into kinetic energy as the car travels down the hill. The total amount of energy remains constant throughout the ride.
Chemical Reactions
Chemical reactions involve the transformation of one form of energy into another. For example, when you light a match, the chemical energy in the match head is converted into thermal energy and light energy.
How to Calculate Conservation of Energy?
Conservation of energy is calculated using the following formula:
Energy input = Energy output
This formula is used to ensure that the total energy in a system remains constant, even as energy is transformed from one form to another.
Calculating Energy Changes
Use the formula below to calculate the kinetic energy in a moving object:
Kinetic energy = 
Use the following formula to calculate the amount of elastic energy stored in a stretched spring:
Here:
= elastic potential energy which is measured in joules (J)
k = spring constant which is measured in Newtons per meter
e = extension measured in meters
Use the following formula to calculate the amount of gravitational energy stored in an object at height:
Here:
= gravitational potential energy which is measured in joules
m = mass of an object in kilograms (kg)
g = gravitational field strength measured in newtons per kilograms
h = height of an object in meters
Example
A 2 kg object is lifted to a height of 5 meters. What is the gravitational potential energy gained by the object? (g = 9.8 m/s^2)
Solution
Given: m = 2 kg, h = 5 m, g = 
Using the formula E = mgh, we can calculate the gravitational potential energy gained by the object:
E = 
E = 98 J
Therefore, the object gains 98 joules of gravitational potential energy when lifted to a height of 5 meters.
Relationship Between Energy Changes and Conservation of Energy
Conservation of energy and energy changes are related in the sense that energy changes describe the transformation of energy from one form to another, while conservation of energy states that the total amount of energy in a system is conserved.
Energy Changes
Energy changes occur when energy is transformed from one form to another. For example, a roller coaster at the top of a hill has potential energy due to its height above the ground. As it rolls down the hill, it gains kinetic energy due to its motion. The roller coaster's potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy. Another example of energy changes is the transformation of chemical energy into heat and light energy in a burning candle.
Conservation of Energy
Conservation of energy states that the total amount of energy in a system is conserved, meaning that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another. In other words, the total energy before a transformation is equal to the total energy after the transformation. The principle of conservation of energy is fundamental to physics, and it is used to explain a wide range of phenomena, from the motion of objects to the behavior of light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation.
In summary, energy changes describe the transformation of energy from one form to another, while conservation of energy states that the total amount of energy in a system is conserved, meaning that energy cannot be created or destroyed. These two concepts are related because energy changes occur while the total amount of energy in a system remains constant due to the principle of conservation of energy.
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