You have probably heard at some point that everything around us, and the human body, is made of or functions because of different forms of energy. These energies include electrical energy, heat energy, potential energy, kinetic energy, etc. But, how is this possible?
Almost everything in the world is made of energy because energy is the building block of all living matter, as studied and found true by scientists, All things on this planet are composed of atoms or molecules (collections of atoms) which have the potential to do work and have energy. Sometimes, there is no potential to do work found.
Pretty cool, huh? If you want to find out more, read on to learn what energy is, the various types of energy that exist, and probably more than you would ever want to know about the energy that exists on Earth.
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What is Energy?
Scientists have defined energy as the capacity or ability of a system to do work. The system can be anything from a human to an animal, and as long as it can do some type of work, whether on another object or within itself, it has energy.
Throughout the decades, they have each developed different theories of energy. Let’s take a look at them.
Einstein’s Theory of Relativity
Perhaps the most recognizable equation in the world, E=m. The equation states that energy is the product of the mass of the object and the speed of light squared. So, the heavier something is, the more energy it has. If you rearrange the equation to solve for mass, it shows that energy can be turned into mass and vice versa.
Scientific theories are principles based on educated guesses. They have not been proven. On the other hand, laws of energy are called laws because they have been proven through experimentation. For some reason, the theory of relativity was the only theory based on energy as has been discussed here.
On the other hand, the laws of thermodynamics are osme of the most used laws when dealing with energy today.
The Laws of Thermodynamics
Thermodynamics is the study of energy. More specifically, the study of thermal energy or heat and how it is changed into other forms of energy, as well as how other kinds of energy can be made into heat and how heat impacts matter or mass.
Four laws govern the principles of the study of thermodynamics, they are:
- The Zenith Law of Thermodynamics: if two bodies are in thermal equilibrium with each other or at the same temperature, then they are equal. This shows that the ability to have temperature as well as the ability to change temperature is an essential characteristic of both living and non-living matter
- The First Law of Thermodynamics: also known as the law of conservation of energy, says that the whole increase of energy of a system corresponds to the amount of thermal energy in the system and the amount of work done on it. Therefore, heat is a form of energy and cannot be created or destroyed
- The Second Law of Thermodynamics: energy cannot be transferred from s place or body with a low temperature to one with a higher temperature without adding more energy to it. It takes work to create heat or warmth, it does not just show up out of nowhere.
- The Third Law of Thermodynamics: the entropy (chaos or disorder) of a perfectly ordered crystalline system at absolute zero is zero. An object or human cannot be in disorder if everything in it is organized. The addition of temperature or heat creates disorder in the system, so entropy is always positive because the perfect order of the system can always be disrupted.
Thermodynamics has been studied and improved over hundreds of years. An understanding of energy, both within humans and objects, is necessary to make use of the natural resources on earth and manmade tools. Energy is everywhere and it is up to humans to harness it and use it properly
What Types of Energy Exist?
There are so many different kinds of energy in the world, and each is used for a specific purpose. However, each type of energy can be placed in one of two categories: kinetic energy of the energy of motion, and kinetic energy which is stored energy or the energy of position.
The types of energy that exist are the following
Electrical Energy
The movement of electrical charges. All living matter is made of atoms which consist of protons, electrons, and neutrons. Applying a stimulus makes the electrons in the atoms move and create energy. The protons and neutrons vibrate inside the nucleus. Electrical charges moving through a wire to create electricity and lighting strikes are examples of electrical energy
Radiant Energy
Electromagnetic energy travels in waves such as visible light, x-rays, gamma waves, and radio waves like the ones that come out of your car radio. Solar energy is another type of radiant energy, so radiant energy is being used to power solar panels and other solar-powered products.
Thermal Energy
Also known as heat or the energy inside of things. The vibration of movement of atoms inside objects or people generates thermal energy. Whenever water is boiled on the stove, the water molecules in the pot heat up and start to vibrate faster and collide as the water turns into steam and the particles turn from a liquid to a gas. This process creates thermal energy.
Sound
Believe it or not, a sound is a form of energy. It is made when energy moves through substances in the form of longitudinal waves. Without sound waves, humans would not be able to hear the world around us. Low, deep sounds produce low-frequency sound waves, while high-pitched sounds produce high-frequency sound waves. You could explore some of the most common meditation frequencies to get into a calm state of mind.
Chemical Energy
The energy that exists in the bonds between and within atoms and molecules that are in every living and nonliving thing. Chemical energy can be stored or unstored. Petroleum, propane, helium, and natural gases represent stored chemical energy. Chemical reactions whether done in the lab or in nature release chemicals as well as other types of energy.
Stored Mechanical Energy
Energy is stored in objects by applying force. Objects such as the springs on a box spring mattress or rubber bands that have been stretched are examples. Once the box springs or rubber bands are released, the mechanical energy they are storing is released as well.
Nuclear Energy
The energy that is inside an atom’s nucleus holds everything within it together. This energy is brought out through fission, which is splitting the nucleus apart, or fusion, which is combing nuclei together. The energy of atoms could potentially be harnessed to create fusion power plants from the abundant source of atoms.
Gravitational Energy
The energy of an object’s or person’s position. A rock sitting at the top of a hill before it rolls down has this type of energy, but as it begins to roll it converts to potential energy. The dams that are part of hydropower plants are part of this as well because they hold back the water that will rush down and be turned into electricity.
Each type of energy is unique and has multiple purposes. With the right type of energy at your disposal, you can accomplish anything. Which type of energy do you think is used the most? Electrical energy is a safe guess for this because a majority of the technology humans use daily would not function without energy
Is Everything Made of Energy?
Almost. Energy and mass or matter are two different concepts. Matter or mass is anything that takes up space and energy, as discussed, is the ability of anything to do work.
Although both are not concepts that can easily be defined, the difference between the two is that matter is another definition for the objects that exist in the world, while energy is a characteristic that those objects can have.
Not everything is made of energy because not everything has the potential to do work. When things are at rest, they do not necessarily have energy. Mass can be converted into energy, but it does not mean that mass has energy.
Are Humans Made of Energy?
Humans are made of energy. It is stored as fat to be used whenever the body needs it. The body is always converting food into energy for use. Humans are made of 1000s of cells and other particles that generate energy. Chemical energy is the most common type of energy found in the human body because chemical reactions are constantly happening to make the bodywork.
What Are Humans Made Of?
The human body is composed of several different components. The human body is a marvel of creation that has to have many different components to work. The components of the human body can be divided into two main categories: chemical and non-chemical
Chemical Components
The body is made up of more than 20 different chemicals, most of which are found in stars. They are:
- Oxygen
- Carbon
- Hydrogen
- Nitrogen
- Phosphorus
- Calcium
- Sulfur
- Potassium
- Sodium
- Chlorine
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Fluorine
- Zinc
- Strontium
- Iodine
- Copper
- Manganese
- Molybdenum
All of these elements are necessary for humans to live and for their bodies to function properly, even though some are found in larger quantities than others. The body is a giant chemical factory, and these are the ingredients that make all of those reactions happen.
Non-Chemical Components
The non-chemical components of the body are all of the physical body parts, as well as bones and muscles. They can also include the consciousness and souls which are the spirits of humans that have been placed inside physical bodies so they can navigate life on earth.
Body Parts
The different physical parts of the body are:
- Head
- Eyes
- Ears
- Nose
- Mouth
- Eyebrows
- Shoulders
- Arms
- Elbows
- Legs
- Knees
- Hands
- Feet
- Butt
Each of the body parts is fundamental to the human experience. Each body part has a function and helps us survive life on earth, Although humans that have disabilities can still survive and thrive, they have greater difficulty than the average human,
Consciousness
The human consciousness is the awareness that humans are who they are and have the power to make choices to change their life. It is everything they get the chance to do, from tasting awesome food to talking to others, to thinking about what to make for dinner and the latest annoying song that got stuck in their head.
One scientist states that consciousness comes from an information processing process where sensory information is written onto a blackboard of sorts and sent to different parts of the mind that control speech, the remembering of details, or the execution of certain actions.
Since the mental blackboard has a limited amount of space, humans can only be aware of a limited amount of information at once. However, once sensory input is posted on the blackboard, it becomes conscious.
States of Consciousness
Consciousness comes in different forms and can be altered by what is happening in the world around an individual or their actions. Some examples of different states of consciousness are:
- Dreams
- Hallucinations
- Hypnosis
- Meditation
- A state induced by a drug
All of these conscious states have different levels of awareness. Consciousness can also be altered or turned into unconsciousness for healing or other reasons. Examples of altered conscious states include a coma, confusion, delirium, lethargy, or a drunken stupor.
Regardless of state, consciousness is a core part of the human experience and what separates humans from other forms of life on earth. Sure, animals have consciousness too but it has less complex needs and thought patterns than a human’s mind. Practicing yoga chitta vritti nidorha focuses on achiving conscious awareness of mind.
Almost Everything Is Made of Energy
On Earth, almost everything is made of energy because atoms and molecules are always vibrating in place. Energy is the capacity to do work, and there are so many different kinds of it. The theories and laws of energy help develop the overall understanding of it. Humans are made of energy. Although, managing your emotional energy and elevating your frequency can be a little hard at first there are many resources to learn about it.
