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Law of Conservation of Energy

Definition

The law of conservation of energy states that total amount of energy in an isolated system remains constant; it cannot be created nor destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

Analogy

Imagine you're transferring money between your savings and checking accounts. No matter how much you move around, the total amount in both accounts combined stays the same. That's like conservation of energy - you can change forms (like from potential to kinetic), but the total amount stays constant.

Related terms

Kinetic Energy: The form of mechanical work or heat that is produced by motion.

Potential Energy: The stored or latent power which may be converted into active or kinetic power when conditions are favorable for such conversion.

Thermal Energy: It is part of the total internal kinetic and potential energies associated with randomly moving microscopic particles such as atoms and molecules.



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© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.