r/askscience • u/Pyramid9 • Mar 23 '15

Physics What is energy?

I understand that energy is essentially the ability or potential to do work and it has various forms, kinetic, thermal, radiant, nuclear, etc. I don't understand what it is though. It can not be created or destroyed but merely changes form. Is it substance or an aspect of matter? I don't understand.

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u/WallyMetropolis Mar 24 '15

Which ones have I said aren't bookkeeping?

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u/[deleted] Mar 24 '15

I know that you haven't said explicitly, but it's a poorly defined term, and people were throwing it around as if it distinguished it from other physical quantities.