What term describes energy stored in chemical bonds between atoms?

• A. Chemical energy
• B. Kinetic energy
• C. Thermal energy
• D. Electrical energy

Answer: (A)

Energy stored in chemical bonds is chemical energy. When atoms bond, there’s potential energy in the arrangement due to how strong the bonds are and how the electrons are shared. This energy isn’t about motion or heat; it’s about the chemical connections themselves. If a reaction breaks some bonds and forms new ones, energy can be released or absorbed, which is why fuels release heat when burned or why our bodies can extract energy from food.

This differs from kinetic energy, which is the energy of motion; thermal energy, which relates to the overall random motion of particles that we feel as temperature; and electrical energy, which comes from moving electric charges or electric fields.