 | Energy powers modern society.
Most energy that we use, however, has been transformed from one form of energy to another.
Is energy lost in this process of transformation?
No, although energy can be converted into other forms, such as thermal energy (or heat) and radiated away.
Energy conservation is a fundamental principle in physics: Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.
On a practical level, energy conservation allows us to solve physics problems—such as free fall or motion down a ramp—more easily than by simply applying the equations of motion.
On a deeper level, energy conservation is behind many important industrial and technological applications in society, such as power generation and the automobile engine.
In this chapter, you will learn the principles of energy conservation and how to apply it to better understand the physics behind many phenomena and applications.
|  | | By the end of this chapter you should be able to
|  | define energy conservation and describe examples of its application;
| | apply the principles of open and closed systems to energy conservation;
| | solve energy conservation problems, including conservation of kinetic and potential energy;
| | define the work–energy theorem and apply it to solve problems;
| | explain the role of friction in energy conservation; and
| | calculate the efficiency of a system or energy transformation.
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|  | 10A: Inclined plane and the conservation of energy
10B: Work and energy for launching a paper airplane
10C: Springs and the conservation of energy
10D: Work done against friction
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