we’ve had this discussion so many times, let’s have it one more time, shall we?

electricity is the most valuable form of energy. every time you want to convert energy A into energy B, you almost always do it via electricity energy as an intermediary step.

for example, if you want to convert the potential energy of water into light energy, you go: water potential energy -> turbine rotary energy -> electric energy -> light.

so, the question is, how can electric energy be converted from/to other types of energy? important types:

• electrochemical (direct reduction, batteries, galvanic cell)
• electromechanical (motor, generator)
• photoelectric (solar panel, LED)

there are some others that i’m still thinking about how to categorize (peltier effect / seebeck effect).

these are represented by major 4 integrated circuit types:

• capacitor / supercapacitor represents battery
• coil represents motor / generator (electromagnetic coupling)
• diode represents photoelectrics
• transistor for switching

the first 2 are “linear” (described by linear theory). the last 2 are semiconductor materials.