Tag: Conservation of energy

According to the law of conservation of energy, the total energy of an isolated system remains constant over time. Understanding this principle is key to identifying which of the following factors do not contribute to total energy. While many factors can affect specific energy forms, only factors that are not part of the fundamental energy forms of a closed system, such as a system's color or density, are irrelevant to its total energy.

While the human body primarily fuels itself by breaking down carbohydrates, lipids, and even proteins for energy, a critical biological component is intentionally left untouched. For many, the surprising answer to 'what is never broken down as an energy source' lies in the very molecules that carry our genetic blueprint: nucleic acids. This biological reality is contrasted with the fundamental physical law of conservation of energy.

According to the first law of thermodynamics, the total energy of an isolated system remains constant; energy is not created or destroyed, but merely converted from one form to another. This means a system's total energy is a sum of its many constituent parts, but what is total energy made up of specifically?