Editing Energy (section)

{{Short description|Physical quantity}}
{{About|the scalar physical quantity|an overview of and topical guide to energy|Outline of energy|other uses}}
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{{Use British English|date=March 2013}}
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{{Infobox physical quantity
| name = Energy
| image = Plasma globe 60th.jpg
| caption = A [[plasma globe]] using [[electrical energy]] to create [[plasma (physics)|plasma]], [[light]], [[heat]], [[kinetic energy|movement]] and a faint [[sound]]
| unit = [[joule]]
| otherunits = [[kilowatt-hour|kW⋅h]], [[British Thermal Unit|BTU]], [[calorie]], [[Electronvolt|eV]], [[erg]], [[foot-pound (energy)|foot-pound]]
| symbols = ''E''
| baseunits = J = kg⋅m<sup>2</sup>⋅s<sup>−2</sup>
| dimension = '''M''' '''L'''<sup>2</sup> '''T'''<sup>−2</sup>
| extensive = yes
| conserved = [[Conservation of energy|yes]]
| derivations =
|image_upright=1.15}}
{{Thermodynamics}}

'''Energy''' ({{etymology|grc|''{{Wikt-lang|grc|ἐνέργεια}}'' ({{grc-transl|ἐνέργεια}})|activity}}) is the [[physical quantity|quantitative]] [[physical property|property]] that is transferred to a [[physical body|body]] or to a [[physical system]], recognizable in the performance of [[Work (thermodynamics)|work]] and in the form of [[heat]] and [[light]]. Energy is a [[Conservation law|conserved quantity]]—the law of [[conservation of energy]] states that energy can be [[Energy transformation|converted]] in form, but not created or destroyed. The unit of measurement for energy in the [[International System of Units]] (SI) is the [[joule]] (J).

Forms of energy include the [[kinetic energy]] of a moving object, the [[potential energy]] stored by an object (for instance due to its position in a [[Classical field theory|field]]), the [[elastic energy]] stored in a solid object, [[chemical energy]] associated with [[chemical reaction]]s, the [[radiant energy]] carried by [[electromagnetic radiation]], the [[internal energy]] contained within a [[thermodynamic system]], and [[rest energy]] associated with an object's [[rest mass]]. These are not mutually exclusive.

All [[life|living organisms]] constantly take in and release energy. The Earth's [[climate]] and [[ecosystem]]s processes are driven primarily by [[Solar irradiance|radiant energy from the sun]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Earth%27s_energy_flow |title=Earth's energy flow |website=Energy Education |access-date=2024-08-28}}</ref> The [[energy industry]] provides the energy required for human civilization to function, which it obtains from [[energy development|energy resource]]s such as [[fossil fuel]]s, [[nuclear fuel]], and [[renewable energy]].