1 Without its atmosphere, Earth would be a very different planet. 2  Gases in the atmosphere allow plants to photosynthesize and animals and plants to engage in respiration. 3  Water vapor, which is an atmospheric gas, is an essential part of the water cycle. 4  All weather takes place in the atmosphere.
Energy transformation can also be explained in terms of potential energy, the stored energy of a system, which can be converted into kinetic energy, the energy of movement. For example, a roller coaster sitting at the top of a hill is said to have potential energy.
Energy is a word that means one of these things: Mostly it is used in science to describe how much potential a physical system has to change. In physics, energy is a property of matter. It can be transferred between objects, and converted in form. It cannot be created or destroyed.