Atoms and molecules inside all objects are in random motion. Nuclear energy is transformed into the energy of sunlight, into electrical energy in power plants, and into the energy of the heat transfer and blast in weapons. Nuclear energy comes from processes that convert measurable amounts of mass into energy.
We sometimes refer to this as radiant energy, or electromagnetic radiation, which includes visible light, infrared, and ultraviolet radiation. Most energy sources on Earth are in fact stored energy from the energy we receive from the Sun. Batteries can in turn produce light, which is a very pure form of energy. Chemical fuel can also produce electrical energy, such as in batteries. Fuels, such as gasoline and food, carry chemical energy that can be transferred to a system through oxidation. Electrical energy is a common form that is converted to many other forms and does work in a wide range of practical situations. Many of these will be covered in later chapters, but let us detail a few here. What are some other forms of energy? You can probably name a number of forms of energy not yet discussed.
