Which energy is stored in batteries and fuels?

• A. Light Energy
• B. Electrical Energy
• C. Chemical Energy
• D. Heat/Thermal Energy

Answer: (C)

Chemical energy is the energy stored in chemical bonds, which is exactly what fuels and batteries rely on. In a battery, energy is held in the chemicals inside the cells; when the battery is used, chemical reactions convert that stored energy into electrical energy that can power devices. In fuels, energy is stored in the fuel molecules themselves; when they burn or react with an oxidizer, the chemical energy is released—usually as heat and sometimes light—and can be transformed into other forms such as electricity in engines or power plants. Light energy and thermal energy describe forms of energy you observe or obtain after a transformation, not the stored form inside these systems, and electrical energy is the energy that results from converting chemical energy, not the form in which it’s originally stored.