Energy conversion is the process of converting one form of energy to another form. You may have questions like how kinetic energy is converted and to which form kinetic energy is converted. Click here to know about the kinetic energy conversion.
Kinetic energy is the energy possessed by a moving object. That is energy gained by body due to virtue of its motion. It generally comes into picture when some work is done onto the body to set it in motion. We calculate it as KE = 1/\2 mv2.
Potential energy is the energy stored within a physical system as a result of the position or configuration of the different parts of that system. It has the potential to be converted into other forms of energy such as kinetic energy and to do work in the process. PE = mgh (h is the height of the body from reference point). When no other form of energy is created or lost in motion of a body then from the law of Conservation of energy we can say that Potential energy of body converts to Kinetic Energy.
It is a known fact that various types of energy are available. Some of the conversion of kinetic energy is listed below
Let us consider a person with a bow and arrow. The archer places and aims at the target. At the moment there is no movement. The archer’s muscles, the bow and the arrow all contain pent-up potential energy.
The instant the archer shoots; the potential energy is converted into kinetic energy. The archer lets go of the string and the string pushes arrow towards the target.
Here the shape of a bow and the elasticity or flexibility of the string maximizes the force on the arrow once the potential energy is converted to kinetic energy.
A best example to demonstrate the conversion of kinetic energy to electrical energy is the wind mill. A wind turbine is a machine for converting the kinetic energy in wind into electrical energy. Moving air (wind) is used to rotate a machine called a turbine.
Inside the wind turbine is an electrical generator. It’s the electrical generator that transforms the kinetic energy into electrical energy
Kinetic energy occurs within an object as its atoms and molecules vibrate randomly. Thermal energy is the unorganized energy of motion of vibrating objects too small to see.
The faster the atoms and molecules in a substance vibrate, the more thermal energy the substance has and the higher its temperature. This is how conversion of kinetic energy to thermal energy takes place.
