Which example demonstrates chemical energy?

• A. Gasoline in a car engine
• B. Electricity from a power plant
• C. Wind energy in a turbine
• D. Nuclear energy in the sun

Answer: (A)

Chemical energy is energy stored in chemical bonds and released when those bonds are broken or rearranged in a chemical reaction. Gasoline contains hydrocarbons with bonds that store a lot of energy; when it’s burned in an engine, those bonds break and form new ones, releasing heat that powers the engine and moves the car. The other examples involve energy forms not stored in chemical bonds: electricity from a power plant is electrical energy, wind energy is mechanical/kinetic energy of moving air, and the sun’s energy comes from nuclear reactions, not chemical bonds.