What is Energy?

[Abby Brown] I love riding my bike, going on walks, and playing outside. It takes a lot of energy to do all of that work. Food, like this granola bar, gives me all the energy I need. Energy is the ability to do work or cause change. Like riding a bike or moving a box from one place to another. And just like my body is fueled with energy from food, our homes and vehicles are fueled with energy from lots of different sources. Energy isn't always something we can see or touch, but energy is everywhere and our modern world uses a lot of it. So where does all that energy come from? Well, lots of places, but let's think about it in two ways: renewable and non-renewable. What's the difference?

The answer is in the word renew. Renewable types of energies can be used over and over; like energy from the sun, water, or wind. And these natural resources will never run out. We will always have the sun, water, and wind. Non-renewable energy types cannot be used again. These types of natural resources are usually dug up from the earth; like coal, oil, and natural gas. These could eventually run out. Whatever kind of energy we generate to power our world can have an effect on the environment too. It might be the way the energy is used or how we get the energy. It could be an impact we can see like smog or air pollution hanging over a big city. Or the site of windmills and solar panels on the horizon. Energy use might cause a smell; like when big buses and cars burn fuel. Or generating energy might affect habitats; like those of fish or birds. Understanding the impact that energy use can have on humans, animals, and the environment can help us all become educated energy experts. Get up and get moving with me as we use our energy to have fun investigating new discoveries in Iowa.

[Announcer] Funding for FIND Iowa has been provided by the following supporters.

(text on screen Find Iowa, Coons Foundation, Pella, Gilchrist Foundation)

(text on screen Iowa PBS Education)