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.
Study sets matching term:thermodynamics = study of energy and its transformation