Flexi Says: Energy is the ability to do work. Heat and light are forms of energy. Energy can change form. It can also move from place to place. Earth gets its energy from the Sun. The Sun gives off photons of energy that travel in waves. All the wavelengths of the Sun’s energy make up the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum. Energy moves in three ways. By radiation, it travels in waves across space. By conduction, it moves between molecules that are in contact. By convection, it moves in a current through a liquid or gas. Energy from the Sun is more focused at the equator than the poles. Differences in energy by latitude cause winds and weather. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb heat. This is called the greenhouse effect and it makes the planet warmer. Human actions have increased the greenhouse effect.
