Energy - Physics doubt

Question

Can one form of energy turn to any other form of energy anywhere? Can we say that, say, a machine is out of energy, and I start moving it, can we say that the KE will change to some other energy that'll make the machine work?

Answer 1

Well, I wouldn't say that something is "out of energy", but I think I get your question. Energy is constantly moving between objects, and we categorize energy into many types, though it's really just one thing. While it does follow patterns/rules, and we often design things to convert energies in specific ways, you can't just give something one type of energy and assume that it'll convert into the kind you want.

So for example, my phone needs a source of electrical energy to operate. If the battery is not "charged" though, I can't just shake my phone around or heat it up in a frying pan. Both of those actions would technically add energy to my phone, but it wouldn't get me any electrical energy. Similarly, when you're hungry, your body needs food so that it can convert the food into energy and help keep you alive. You could add energy to your body in other ways - rolling down a hill, sitting next to a fire, etc, but none of those would get you the right type of energy that you need to keep the processes in your body running - you would eventually die without the right source of energy.

Hope that answers your question.