67 Energy Is Everywhere-High

Energy Is Everywhere! Written by Patricia Walsh

Introduction You skip and hop. You turn on lights and listen to a radio. You watch TV and eat food cooked on a stove. All of these things use energy. Energy is everywhere.

What Is Energy? Energy is the ability to do work or to make a change. There are many kinds of energy. For example, energy gives you light, and it carries sound to your ears. Energy gives power to things that move. It keeps you warm and runs your computer. Let's think about the many ways you use energy in your everyday life.

Light Energy When light comes in through your window, your room becomes bright. You may turn on a light in the bathroom. These things use light energy. Light makes dark places bright. It can come from the Sun or from a lamp. Wowser! The light from the Sun has to travel for about 8 minutes before it reaches us on Earth.

Light travels in a straight path. It travels through air, and it can go through clear glass. It reflects off mirrors. But it stops when it hits your hand. That's why you can make shadows with your hands.

Sound Energy When you leave for school, you might hear the noise of cars and trucks. You may hear birds singing, music playing, or a friendly voice saying, "Good morning." All of these things are kinds of sound energy. Sounds happen when air vibrates, or moves back and forth.