Final answer:
Energy conversion can result in changes such as potential to kinetic, chemical to thermal, electrical to radiant, and kinetic to thermal due to friction, where not all the converted energy is efficiently used for work.
Step-by-step explanation:
When energy is converted from one form to another, there are several types of changes that can occur. Here are four general types of changes that can result from an energy conversion:
- A change from potential to kinetic energy. For example, when an object falls, the gravitational potential energy converts into kinetic energy.
- A change from chemical to thermal energy. An instance of this would be when gasoline burns in a car engine, converting the chemical energy stored in the gasoline into heat and mechanical energy.
- A conversion from electrical to radiant energy, such as when a light bulb converts electrical energy into light.
- A change from kinetic to thermal energy due to friction, as observed when brakes are applied on a vehicle, and the kinetic energy of the moving vehicle is transformed into heat in the brake pads.
These examples illustrate how energy can be transferred and transformed between different forms, and not all the converted energy is utilized for the desired work due to inefficiencies, leading to energy disseminations such as heat.