Energy is defined as what?

• A. The rate of performing work
• B. The ability to cause change (do work)
• C. The force that moves objects
• D. The energy of motion only

Answer: (B)

Energy is the ability to cause change, or to do work. When you apply a force to move something, you’re using energy to produce that movement or other change. The amount of energy something has tells you how much work it can do or how much it can change things, now or later. The rate at which energy is used or transferred is called power, so saying “rate of performing work” describes power, not energy itself. Energy isn’t just the force that moves objects; it’s the capacity behind that force to cause motion or other changes. And energy isn’t only motion energy; it includes many forms like potential energy, chemical energy, electrical energy, and more, all of which can be transformed from one form to another.