Energy: What is it? Can Objects Be Made of It?

[Bradfordly1]

Can something be made up of energy? Or is energy ONLY just a property of objects?

 

[A.T.]

Can something be made up of energy? Or is energy ONLY just a property of objects?

Energy is a quantity computed by an observer, not an intrinsic property of objects or a material.

 

[Drakkith]

Energy is a property of an object or a system of objects. Some think of it as merely "bookkeeping", meaning that energy is something that we use to help us describe the world around us and make useful predictions, but that it isn't something in and of itself. That it doesn't "really" exist.

My signature has an amusing anecdote on this very topic. Thanks go to @OmCheeto for it.

 

[quarknsoul]

As far as I know matter and energy are the same thing. And energy can neither be created nor destroyed. But scientists don't know a lot about dark matter or energy. So energy always exists. But facts can change if they know more about dark matter or energy .

 

[Jimmy]

As far as I know matter and energy are the same thing.

Not really. Energy is one of many properties of matter. See Drakkith's post immediately before yours.

More information: Matter and Energy: A False Dichotomy

 

[mathman]

Aren't photons bits of energy?

 

[Drakkith]

Aren't photons bits of energy?

No, they are excitations of the electromagnetic field and have several properties, only one of which is energy.