What Is Energy?
Do you like roller coasters? Have you ever wondered what makes a roller coaster climb to the top of the first hill and race down the other side?
The answer is energy. Energy is the ability to make change and do work. We use energy every day to do many things, not only to move roller coasters. We use energy to ride a bike and power a car. We use energy to heat our homes and cook dinner. There are many ways to produce energy, such as using your muscles or starting a fire. We can use up a source of energy, or we can store energy to use at a later time. Some sources of energy will last forever. Even gravity can be a source of energy.
There are many different kinds of energy. How many can you think of?
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Many roller coasters use a motor and a long chain to get the cars to the top of the first hill. Once they are there, the force
of gravity pulls the cars back down the hill.View Larger Image
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© Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images
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