Sources of stored energy take many forms like food, fuel and
batteries. All energy on the Earth comes from the Sun.
Heat from the sun warms everything on the Earth. Light and
heat are forms of energy, which come directly from the Sun. Plants, use the
energy from sunlight to make food. Energy from the sun is stored in leaves,
stems, roots and fruits. When an animal eats plants it gets the energy stored
inside the plant.
  
Animals eat plants and get the energy stored in plant
tissues. They utilize this energy for various activities like running, climbing,
hunting and keeping warm. Food we eat contains energy to power our bodies.
Fuels such as oil and coal contain huge amounts of energy.
Energy released from these fuels, wind and water can be changed into
electricity. Energy is needed for almost all activities that make up our lives.
Fuels
Energy in
fossil fuels came from the Sun. Like plants, trees store energy from the sun,
when wood is burnt; the stored energy is released as heat. All living organisms
store energy. When they die, their bodies are slowly buried under soil and rock,
over millions of years later, the material turns into oil and coal. This is
called as fossil fuel. Gasoline, heating oil and tar are made from fossil fuels,
and fossil fuels are burned to release energy.
Batteries
In
nature energy is stored in the form of food and fuel. You can also store energy
in a battery. Batteries are filled with chemicals, which contain energy.
The energy in the chemicals is converted into electricity.
This energy is used to play music or to run a wristwatch. We can store energy in
a battery, used in flashlights calculators and radio. These batteries supply the
required energy to run these devices. Some batteries have to be replaced; some can be
recharged or refilled with energy.
   
In order to perform any physical activity like rowing,
swimming or running we need energy.
 
To get this energy, we eat foods such as sandwiches, spaghetti and fruits.
All this food got its energy from sunlight.
 
All forms of energy are stored in different ways, in the energy sources that
we use every day. These sources are divided into two groups -- renewable (an
energy source that can be used again and again) and nonrenewable (an energy
source that we are using up and cannot be recreated in a short period of time).
Renewable energy sources include solar energy, which comes from the sun and can
be converted into electricity and heat. Wind, geothermal energy from inside the
earth, biomass from plants, and hydropower from water are also renewable energy
sources.
Oil, Gas, and Coal Energy
Over 80 percent of the world's energy comes from burning fuels such as oil,
natural gas and coal. These fossil fuels were formed millions of years ago from
the dead remains of plants and animals. These fuels are burned to create heat
and electricity. Since it took millions of years to create these fossil fuels,
we are using them faster than they are being created. These fuels will
eventually be used up and disappear. This has led many people and companies to start
developing more renewable forms of energy.
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