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.
What is the scientific definition of energy? The law of conservation of energy states that it is not possible to create or destroy energy within a closed system. When a child is running down the sidewalk but falls to skin his knee, the energy in the situation is not destroyed. Instead, it simply changes form.