when energy moves from one form to another, the amount of energy always remains the same. it cannot be made or destroyed. this rule is called the "conservation law of energy". for example, when you throw a ball, the energy is transferred from your hand to the ball as you release it. but the energy that was in your hand, and now the energy that is in the ball, is the same number. for a long time, people thought that the conservation of energy was all there was to talk about.