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 may be transformed, e.g. from a energy in a chemical bond to heat energy. Second law of thermodynamics. When energy is converted from one form to another, some of the usable energy is converted to heat and is dispersed in the surroundings. At every step of energy transformation there is a loss of energy capable to do work. No one process that requires energy conversion is 100% efficient.