From Seed to Seed:
Plant Science for K-8 Educators

Digging Deeper

Energy Matters

What do we mean when we say that plants "convert the sun's energy into food"? You may be familiar with the concept of conservation of energy, and the different forms that energy can take. For example, a rock positioned at the edge of a cliff has potential energy. If the rock falls down the slope, that potential energy is converted to kinetic energy, the energy of movement.

Other types of energy include electricity, heat, and light. And matter contains energy in the form of chemical bonds. Energy can be converted from one form to another but can never be created or destroyed. If you burn a log, you convert the energy in the chemical bonds of the wood into heat energy. During photosynthesis, plants convert the sun's light energy into chemical energy (chemical bonds), creating carbohydrates.

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