Chemical Energy Definition and Examples

What Is Chemical Energy?

Wood is a source of chemical energy, which may be released during a combustion reaction.
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By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Updated on August 05, 2019

Chemical energy is the energy contained in the internal structure of an atom or molecule. It is a measure of a substance's capacity to transform into another substance via a chemical reaction. This energy could be in the electronic structure of a single atom or in the bonds between atoms in a molecule. Chemical energy is converted into other forms of energy by chemical reactions.

Examples of substances that contain chemical energy include:

A student using a plastic atom model
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By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
  • Wood
  • Food
  • Gasoline
  • Batteries

Chemical energy is released or absorbed as chemical bonds are broken and reform. It is a misconception that a substance always releases more energy than it absorbs! Chemical energy is calculated as the difference between the energy of the products and reactants. This may be measured using a calorimeter or calculated based on the bond energies of the chemical bonds.

Reference

  • Schmidt-Rohr, K (2015). "Why Combustions Are Always Exothermic, Yielding About 418 kJ per Mole of O2". J. Chem. Educ. 92: 2094–2099.
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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Chemical Energy Definition and Examples." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/definition-of-chemical-energy-604903. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 27). Chemical Energy Definition and Examples. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-chemical-energy-604903 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Chemical Energy Definition and Examples." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-chemical-energy-604903 (accessed April 23, 2024).