Does converting one form of energy into another form always involves a loss of useable energy and energy stored in the chemical bonds of molecules?
Yes, this is true according to law of conservation of energy, which says energy can neither be created nor be destroyed. It can only be transformed from one form to another. Whenever energy changes from one form to another, the total amount of energy remains constant. Energy transformation is when energy changes from one type to another. While energy can be transferred or transformed, the total energy always remains the same. The law of conservation of energy states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed - only converted from one form of energy to another. This means that a system always has the same amount of energy, unless it's added from the outside. A perfectly energy-efficient machine would change all the energy put in it into useful work. In reality, converting one form of energy into another form always involves a loss of useable energy. In fact, most energy transformations are not very efficient. As one form of energy is converted into another, there is always some energy lost as heat. This follows the principles of thermodynamics, which state that in any energy conversion from one form to another, some energy is lost as heat energy. Thermal energy is unique because it in most cases (willow) cannot be converted to other forms of energy. Only a difference in the density of thermal/heat energy (temperature) can be used to perform work, and the efficiency of this conversion will be (much) less than 100%.The energy stored in the chemical bonds of a molecule and available to perform work once that bond is broken is called the chemical potential energy of the molecule. It is a potential energy because the energy is stored (i.e. potential for energy release) until the bond is broken.
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