The total amount of energy in the universe never changes, but the amount of energy available for work at any given moment varies tremendously. What best explains this change in available energy?

Responses

Energy is continually changing from one form into another.

Energy can only be created through nuclear reactions.

Energy is always converted with 100 percent efficiency.

Energy is always transferred as heat.

The best explanation for the change in available energy is that energy is continually changing from one form into another. Energy cannot be created or destroyed according to the law of conservation of energy, but it can be converted from one form to another, such as potential energy to kinetic energy or electrical energy to light energy. However, some energy is always lost as unusable heat during these conversions, leading to variations in available energy at any given moment. So, the correct answer is "Energy is continually changing from one form into another."

Thank you

The best explanation for the change in available energy is that energy is continually changing from one form into another. This principle is known as the law of conservation of energy, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be transformed from one form to another.

For example, when a car is moving, it possesses kinetic energy. However, when the car comes to a stop, the kinetic energy is transformed into other forms, such as heat and sound energy. This transformation of energy occurs in various processes and systems throughout the universe.

It is important to note that while energy is conserved, it does not mean that it is always available for useful work. Energy conversions often result in the production of less useful or less concentrated forms of energy, such as heat, which cannot be easily harnessed to perform work. Therefore, the amount of energy available for useful work at any given moment can vary tremendously.