ENERGY SOURCES 18 As we have seen, electricity is the movement of electrons. It is one of the different forms of energy existing in nature, and one on which we rely quite a lot. It can be obtained from different forms of energy. Search the Internet to find out how much energy you need to Google something. For example, the invention of the steam engine in the 18th century led to the Industrial Revolution, which spread from Britain to the rest of the world and brought great changes to the lives of people all over Europe, first, and the whole world later. Forms of energy Energy is the capacity, or power, to make something work. In our daily lives, we use energy to operate almost everything around us, from cars to lights to household appliances. Energy comes in different forms and can be classified in two categories: kinetic energy, which is energy in motion, such as the movement of the wind, water, or someone running; engine: motore renewable: rinnovabile to replenish: rifornire steam: vapore supply: scorta potential energy, which is the energy stored in objects that are at rest, and its quantity depends on the position of the objects at rest. Kinetic energy There are different kinds of kinetic energy that imply the motion of electrons, molecules, substances, and objects: electrical; mechanical; thermal; sound; electromagnetic. Potential energy Examples of potential energy are: chemical; gravitational; nuclear; All these forms of energy can be transformed from one into another. ENERGY SOURCES RENEWABLE ENERGY NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY bioMass NUclear WaVe coal solar eNerGy The fUel of life eNerGy The fUel of life WaTer oil GeoTherMal WiND 54 elecTriciTy NaTUral Gas Where do we get energy from? Over the years, people have used a variety of energy sources. Early humans used wood to get light and heat and to cook their food. Later, coal was widely used, not only for basic needs, but also to travel and produce things much faster and more easily than before . Nowadays, in order to satisfy the high demand of energy, people use a great variety of resources, which can be grouped into two main categories: non-renewable resources, such as coal or oil, which have a limited supply and are at risk of running out as they cannot be replenished; renewable resources, such as solar, water or wind energy, whose supply is unlimited because they are naturally available.