Mechanical Energy Additional Sources
The straight forward answer to ‘what is mechanical energy’ is that it is the sum of energy in a mechanical system. This energy includes both kinetic energy(energy of motion) and potential energy(stored energy).
Objects have mechanical energy if they are in motion and/or if they are at some position relative to a zero potential energy position. A few examples are: a moving car possesses mechanical energy due to its motion(kinetic energy) and a barbell lifted high above a weightlifter’s head possesses mechanical energy due to its vertical position above the ground(potential energy).
Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. An object that has motion, vertical or horizontal motion, has kinetic energy. There are many forms of kinetic energy: vibrational (the energy due to vibrational motion), rotational (the energy due to rotational motion), and translational (the energy due to motion from one location to another).
Potential energy is the energy stored in a body or in a system due to its position in a force field or its configuration. The standard unit of measure for energy and work is the joule. The term
“potential energy” has been used since the 19th century.
Read more: http://www.universetoday.com/73598/what-is-mechanical-energy/#ixzz2Au57gPtl
Mechanical energy is the energy that is possessed by an object due to its motion or due to its position. Mechanical energy can be either kinetic energy
(energy of motion) or potential energy (stored energy of position). Objects have mechanical energy if they are in motion and/or if they are at some position relative to a zero potential energy position (for example, a brick held at a vertical position above the ground or zero height position). A moving car possesses mechanical energy due to its motion ( kinetic energy ).
A moving baseball possesses mechanical energy due to both its high speed
( kinetic energy ) and its vertical position above the ground (gravitational potential energy ). A World Civilization book at rest on the top shelf of a locker possesses mechanical energy due to its vertical position above the ground (gravitational potential energy ). A barbell lifted high above a weightlifter's head possesses mechanical energy due to its vertical position above the ground (gravitational potential energy ). A drawn bow possesses mechanical energy due to its stretched position (elastic potential energy ). http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/energy/u5l1d.cfm

Mechanical Energy Images

Thermal Energy Sources
Thermal energy is the energy a substance or system has related to its temperature, i.e., the energy of moving or vibrating molecules. Atoms and molecules, the smallest particles of any substance, are always in motion. The motion of thermal energy is usually not visible, but we can feel or see its effects. We use thermal energy to cook our food and heat our homes, and we use it to generate electricity.
Thermal energy is not the same as heat. Heat is energy transferred between substances or systems due to a temperature difference between them. So it is correct to say that a system contains thermal energy, but not that it "contains" heat, since heat means energy that is transferred from one thing to another.
The amount of heat transferred by a substance depends on the speed and number of atoms or molecules in motion. The faster the atoms or molecules move, the higher the temperature, and the more atoms or molecules that are in motion, the greater the quantity of heat they transfer. http://www.energyeducation.tx.gov/energy/section_1/topics/forms_of_energy/thermal_energy.html
Thermal energy is the internal energy of an object due to the kinetic energy of its atoms and/or molecules. The atoms and/or molecules of a hotter object have greater kinetic energy than those of a colder one, in the form of vibrational, rotational, or, in the case of a gas, translational motion. Thermal energy does not refer to the motion of an object as a whole (that is, kinetic energy). While a hot object has greater thermal energy than a cold object of the same type (for example, a hot brick versus a cold brick), it is possible for a large cold object, such as a mountain lake, to have more thermal energy than a small hot object, such as a cup of boiling water. http://www.chegg.com/homework-help/definitions/thermal-energy-2

Thermal Energy Images
Thermal Energy: The sum of all the kinetic energy of the particles

Electromagnetic Energy Sources
Have you ever given a thought to the microwave which cooks your food with ease and within minutes?
If not microwave oven, then what about the light bulb over your head, or the X-ray machine which gave you the good news that your hand is not broken? Have you thought about their mechanisms? All this wonders of modern life run on the basis of an amazing phenomenon called electromagnetic energy. We are surrounded by this energy and our life would have been completely different if this phenomenon was not discovered or understood by mankind. This energy is said to be in the form of waves. However, according to Einstein and Max Plank, "Electromagnetic radiation exists in the form of particles called photons. Each particle or photon is an extremely small grain of energy - an energy packet - so to speak". Is it possible for electromagnetic energy to be both waves and energy packets?
Well, the answer has been found to be both, which further deepens the mystery behind the electromagnetism.
Electromagnetic energy is said to be the type of energy which comes from electromagnetic waves.
These radiation travels with the speed of light and can be composed of radio waves, TV waves, radar waves, heat, light, X-rays, visible waves, etc. The Sun, the earth and the ionosphere are main sources of electromagnetic energy in nature.
Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-is-electromagnetic-energy.html
Understanding electromagnetic radiation By Janet Raloff / April 8, 2008
Energy travels throughout the universe at the speed of light in the form of electromagnetic radiation. What that radiation is called depends on its energy level.
At the really highenergy end of the spectrum, you’ve got gamma rays. You’re probably familiar with a close cousin to these: Xrays. They’re the ones doctors and dentists use to probe for unusual structures inside your body. Radio waves fall at the extreme other end. Those radio waves are the ones that deliver music and news broadcasts to your home radios.
Ultraviolet rays, visible light, infrared radiation, and microwaves fall at energy levels in between.
Together, all of these types of radiation make up one long, continuous electromagnetic spectrum. Its energy travels in what’s usually referred to as waves.
What separates one type of electromagnetic radiation from another is its wavelength. That’s the length of a wave of that type of radiation. To identify the length of a wave of water in the sea, you would measure the distance from the crest (upper part) of one wave to the crest of another. Or you could measure from one trough (bottom part of a wave) to another.
It’s more difficult to do, but scientists measure electromagnetic waves the same way—from crest to crest or from trough to trough. In fact, each segment of the energy spectrum is defined by this wavelength. http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2008/04/understanding-electromagnetic-radiation/

Electromagnetic Energy Images
Visible Light
X-Rays

Chemical Energy Sources
Energy stored in the bonds between atoms in molecules is chemical energy.
For example, in photosynthesis plants take in radiant energy from sunlight. This solar energy is stored in complex chemical compounds such as starches and sugars. The stored energy is released when these compounds break down into simpler compounds.
When you eat plant or animal tissue, your digestive system adds chemicals called enzymes that help break down the food. Digestion converts stored energy in food to other forms of energy that your body can use, such as mechanical energy to walk across the room. http://www.energyeducation.tx.gov/energy/section_1/topics/forms_of_energy/chemical_energy.html
chemical energy, Energy stored in the bonds of chemical compounds. Chemical energy may be released during a chemical reaction, often in the form of heat; such reactions are called exothermic .
Reactions that require an input of heat to proceed may store some of that energy as chemical energy in newly formed bonds. The chemical energy in food is converted by the body into mechanical energy and heat. The chemical energy in coal is converted into electrical energy at a power plant. The chemical energy in a battery can also supply electrical power by means of electrolysis. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/108679/chemical-energy
Scientifically, energy is defined as the ability to do work. While there are many forms of energy, they can be grouped into two categories: potential energy , or stored energy; and kinetic energy , or energy of motion.
Chemical energy is a form of potential energy and it is possessed by things such as food, fuels and batteries.
Within each category of energy, there are many different forms of energy. Chemical energy is one form of potential energy, along with mechanical energy , gravitational energy, nuclear energy and electrical energy . All of these forms of energy are stored within an object and are converted to forms of kinetic energy when a force or change is applied. The different forms of kinetic energy are radiant energy , which includes light, x-rays and radio waves, heat, motion and sound.
As stated by the first law of thermodynamics , energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it can only be converted from one form to another. During chemical reactions , molecules can be created or destroyed. If a product is created, the chemical energy is stored in the bonds that make up the molecules. If something is broken down, the chemical energy is released, usually as heat. If a reaction releases energy, it is called exothermic , and if it absorbs energy, it is called endothermic. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-chemical-energy.htm

Chemical Energy Images

Nuclear Energy Sources
Nuclear energy is energy in the nucleus (core) of an atom. Atoms are tiny particles that make up every object in the universe. There is enormous energy in the bonds that hold atoms together.
Nuclear energy can be used to make electricity. But first the energy must be released. It can be released from atoms in two ways: nuclear fusion and nuclear fission.
In nuclear fusion, energy is released when atoms are combined or fused together to form a larger atom.
This is how the sun produces energy.
In nuclear fission, atoms are split apart to form smaller atoms, releasing energy. Nuclear power plants use nuclear fission to produce electricity. http://www.kids.esdb.bg/uranium.html
Changes can occur in the structure of the nuclei of atoms. These changes are called nuclear reactions . Energy created in a nuclear reaction is called nuclear energy , or atomic energy .
Nuclear energy is produced naturally and in man-made operations under human control.
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Naturally: Some nuclear energy is produced naturally. For example, the Sun and other stars make heat and light by nuclear reactions.
Man-Made: Nuclear energy can be man-made too. Machines called nuclear
reactors, parts of nuclear power plants, provide electricity for many cities. Manmade nuclear reactions also occur in the explosion of atomic and hydrogen bombs .
Nuclear energy is produced in two different ways, in one, large nuclei are split to release energy. In the other method, small nuclei are combined to release energy.
For a more detailed look at nuclear fission and nuclear fusion, consult the nuclear physics page .
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Nuclear Fission : In nuclear fission, the nuclei of atoms are split, causing energy to be released. The atomic bomb and nuclear reactors work by fission. The element uranium is the main fuel used to undergo nuclear fission to produce energy since it has many favorable properties. Uranium nuclei can be easily split by shooting neutrons at them. Also, once a uranium nucleus is split, multiple neutrons are released which are used to split other uranium nuclei. This phenomenon is known as a chain reaction.
Nuclear Fusion : In nuclear fusion, the nuclei of atoms are joined together, or fused. This happens only under very hot conditions. The Sun, like all other stars, creates heat and light through nuclear fusion. In the Sun, hydrogen nuclei fuse to make helium. The hydrogen bomb , humanity's most powerful and destructive weapon, also works by fusion. The heat required to start the fusion reaction is so great that an atomic bomb is used to provide it. Hydrogen nuclei fuse to form helium and in the process release huge amounts of energy thus producing a huge explosion .
 http://library.thinkquest.org/3471/nuclear_energy.html

Nuclear Energy Images