Forms of energy

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Thermal energy is energy of microscopic constituents of matter, which may include both kinetic and potential energy.

In the context of physical sciences, several forms of energy have been identified. These include^{[need quotation to verify]}:

Forms of energy
Type of energy	Description
Kinetic	(≥0), that of the motion of a body
Potential	A category comprising many forms in this list
Mechanical	The sum of (usually macroscopic) kinetic and potential energies
Mechanical wave	(≥0), a form of mechanical energy propagated by a material's oscillations
Chemical	that contained in molecules
Electric	that from electric fields
Magnetic	that from magnetic fields
Radiant	(≥0), that of electromagnetic radiation including light
Nuclear	that of binding nucleons to form the atomic nucleus
Ionization	that of binding an electron to its atom or molecule
Elastic	that of deformation of a material (or its container) exhibiting a restorative force
Gravitational	that from gravitational fields
Rest	(≥0) that equivalent to an object's rest mass
Thermal	A microscopic, disordered equivalent of mechanical energy
Heat	an amount of thermal energy being transferred (in a given process) in the direction of decreasing temperature
Mechanical work	an amount of energy being transferred in a given process due to displacement in the direction of an applied force