Energy was the measure of a physical system's ability to do work. Although quantifiable, energy was not an absolute so it had to be measured with respect to a reference energy level (kinetic energy, chemical energy, thermal energy, etc.). Energy for a starship's purposes could be derived from many different reactions, the most common of which were matter-antimatter reactions and nuclear fusion, though like matter, it could not be created or destroyed. Therefore matter-antimatter interactions release energy. Obsolete means of converting energy include combustion and nuclear fission. An antimatter reaction was always calculated using Einstein's equation, E = mc2. In theory, the combined annihilation of one kilogram of antimatter with one kilogram of matter will produce 1.8×1017 joules of energy (180 petajoules). A source of energy was called an energy source.
Starship energy systems[]
- Electro-plasma distribution network (EPS conduits)
- Impulse reactors (fusion reactor)
- Main power plant
- Warp core (matter-antimatter reaction assembly)
Other energy systems[]
Energy-based lifeforms[]
See also: Non-corporeal lifeform
Forms of energy[]
- Anaphasic energy
- Anionic energy
- Bio-neural energy
- Chromodynamic energy
- Dark energy
- Electro-plasma
- Electrostatic energy
- Geothermal energy
- Koinoenergy
- Multiphasic energy
- Metaphasic radiation
- Negative energy
- Neural energy
- Neuro-electric energy
- Neurogenic energy
- Nucleogenic energy
- Plasmatic energy
- Polaric ion energy
- Psionic energy
- RF energy
- Sporocystian energy
- Tachyokinetic energy
- Telepathic energy
- Temporal energy
- Warp energy