What is Chemical Energy?
Chemical energy (chemical potential energy) is the energy stored in the bonds of a chemical substance and is released when the substance undergoes a chemical reaction.
Examples of substances containing chemical energy
Examples of substances containing chemical energy include:
- battery electrolytes
- food such as carbohydrates, fats and proteins
- fuels such as petrol and coal.
Energy conversion involving chemical energy
Energy (such as heat energy or light energy) absorbed when chemical substances react is stored in form of chemical energy. For example, in the process of photosynthesis, when carbon dioxide react with water to form carbohydrates and oxygen, light energy is absorbed by the reactants and stored in the carbohydrates as chemical energy. There the energy chain of photosynthesis is:
light energy → chemical energy
The carbohydrate molecules can then later release that same amount of chemical energy in form of heat energy and light energy when they burn. The energy chain for the burning of carbohydrates is:
chemical energy → light energy + heat energy
Other examples of chemical energy conversions
Energy Conversion When Charging a Battery
electrical energy → chemical energy
Photo by mohamed abdelghaffar from Pexels
Energy Conversion When Discharging a Battery
chemical energy → electrical energy
Energy Conversion When Burning a Fuel
chemical energy → electrical energy
Photo by Markus Distelrath from Pexels
Energy Conversion In a Thermal Power Station
chemical energy → heat energy → kinetic energy → electrical energy
Energy Conversion In a Car Engine
chemical energy → heat energy → kinetic energy
