EnergyTopic Summary
Topic Summary: Energy Stores and Systems
Part of Energy Stores & Systems — GCSE Physics
This topic summary covers Topic Summary: Energy Stores and Systems within Energy Stores & Systems for GCSE Physics. Revise Energy Stores & Systems in Energy for GCSE Physics with 14 exam-style questions and 30 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 20 of 20 in this topic. Use this topic summary to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 20 of 20
Practice
14 questions
Recall
30 flashcards
Topic Summary: Energy Stores and Systems
Key Terms
- Energy store: where energy is held (kinetic, GPE, elastic, chemical, thermal, magnetic, electrostatic, nuclear)
- Pathway: how energy moves (mechanical, electrical, heating, radiation)
- Dissipation: spreading energy to thermal store of surroundings
- Closed system: no energy in or out; total stays constant
Key Facts
- Energy cannot be created or destroyed — only transferred
- There are 8 energy stores and 4 transfer pathways
- Wasted energy nearly always goes to the thermal store
- The total energy in a closed system is always conserved
The 8 Stores (KGETMENCC)
- Kinetic, Gravitational PE, Elastic PE, Thermal
- Magnetic, Electrostatic, Nuclear, Chemical
- Mnemonic: Kicking Giraffes Eat Thirteen Million Electric Newts Carelessly
Exam Tips
- Never say energy is "lost" — say it is "dissipated to thermal store"
- Always name both the store AND the pathway in transfer questions
- In Sankey diagrams, arrow widths must be proportional to energy values
- Height must be vertical when calculating GPE