An example of potential energy being transformed into kinetic energy to do work is a pump storage facility at a power plant that uses water to generate electricity. In this facility, water is pumped to a holding area where it is stored. The stored water has the potential to do work, or potential energy. When released, the flow of water, or kinetic energy, downstream is doing work. A turbine downstream turns due to the work of the water.

 Energy is a critical aspect of modern life. It includes the electricity, heat and other types of energy used to power our homes, businesses, and transportation. Energy as a scientific principle is found in many sources and forms. The scientific definition of energy is the ability to do work.

Have you wondered what really causes a person to die from drowning? It's hard to imagine a more horrific manner of dying, except for possibly burning to death. The key to death from drowning is that the lungs were not designed to squeeze oxygen out of water and as a result the intake of water serves to cut off the supply of life-giving oxygen. Another problem is that when a person is drowning, the body is also taking in too much carbon dioxide. This rapid accumulation of carbon dioxide effectively serves to poison the heart, causing it to quit beating.