Hey there, explorer! Today we are going to discover the super cool world of energy—the invisible force that makes everything in our universe move and shake!
Energy is the ability to do work or cause change. Every time you run, a light bulb shines, or a car drives down the street, energy is hard at work!
Energy can be stored up and ready to go! This is called potential energy. Think of a ball sitting at the very top of a tall hill, just waiting to roll down.
When that ball starts rolling down, the stored energy turns into kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is the energy of motion—anything that is moving has it!
✏️ Worked example
Let's look at a kid jumping on a trampoline. Can you identify when they have potential energy and when they have kinetic energy?
1. When the jumper is at the absolute highest point of their jump, they stop moving for a split second. At this exact moment, they have the most Potential Energy.
2. As they start falling back down towards the trampoline, that stored energy turns into Kinetic Energy because they are moving faster and faster.
3. When they hit the trampoline and stretch it all the way down, they stop moving again. The stretched trampoline now holds Potential Energy!
4. Finally, the trampoline pushes them back up, converting that stored energy right back into Kinetic Energy!
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