Energy is defined as the measure of the ability to do work. Energy determines the capacity of a system to perform work and may be stored in various forms. Some of the more basic mechanical systems involve the concepts of potential and kinetic energy. Both of these terms will be explained more fully later in this chapter. More advanced systems may include other types of energy such as chemical, electromagnetic, thermal, acoustic, and nuclear. A piledriver hammer performs work by virtue of its falling motion. Coal burned in a fossil-fueled power plant is undergoing energy release by a chemical reaction. Fuel elements in a nuclear power reactor produce energy by a nuclear reaction. For the purposes of this course, our discussions will be limited to mechanical and thermal forms of energy (e.g., heat). It should be noted, however, that the principles involved with energy calculations are similar for all types of energy.

Both thermal and mechanical energy can be separated into two categories, transient and stored. Transient energy is energy in motion, that is, energy being transferred from one place to another. Stored energy is the energy contained within a substance or object. Both of these categories of energy will be discussed in this module.