I'm playing with ideas for magic in my world. This is the same world as in [A corrupted religion](https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/58656/a-corrupted-religion), in case you're wondering.

In the world of {PlaceholderWorldName}, people can perform magic, but it isn't your average run-of-the-mill fantasy stuff.

In essence, users can transfer energy. This involves decreasing the energy of a group of particles (source) and increasing the energy of another group (target). The energy can come from themselves (body heat, moving arms, *maybe* neural electricity?\*), or from any other source of energy (moving air particles, or a hot object). No energy is created or destroyed and the type of energy is conserved (kinetic, thermal, etc). The energy is "transferred" from source to target.

Both the target and source need to be close to the user. For simplicity, I'll define that **the user must be touching both the source and the target directly during energy transfer** to perform a spell (one with each hand). No damage will occur from this, since none of the energy is directly transferred to the hands.

The only magic involved is the selection of source and target, and the transfer of energy. All of the results from spells are purely scientific.

This allows users to use "ingredients" to cause chemical reactions, channel energy from a large source to super-heat a small target, or vice versa to cool. They can also move or suspend objects, and harness things like lightning.

I expect I will have many questions stemming from this, but I will start with the basic one:

**What sorts of simple spells are possible using this system, with scientific explanations?**

The elements of magic correspond to the following types of energy:

* Light

By reducing the light emissions of a light source, the user can cause the target to emit light of the same frequency.

* Thermal

By reducing the heat energy of any object above absolute zero, the user can increase the heat energy of the target relative to specific heat capacity and other factors.

* Electrical

By reducing the current flowing through a conductor, the user can apply a current to the target.

* Kinetic

The user can apply a force to a target, given that an equal and opposite force is applied to the source.

* Sound

The user can reduce the volume of sound emitted to cause the target to emit sound. The waves cannot be altered, so the target will emit the same sound.

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P.S: I'm aware that types of energy somewhat overlap, such as sound being the movement of particles in a medium, but for simplicity magic users must use a source of sound to "create" sound, and a source of movement to move things, etc.

(Note: I have missed out some types of energy which I think a traditional fantasy nation would not consider to be "energy" due to an incomplete understanding of science, or other religious explanations being favored by the majority. These include elastic potential, gravity, Electrical energy is from the weather, or static, since technology as far as steam power has yet to be introduced, let alone electricity.)

\*On taking energy from yourself, this brings into account the possible limitations on damage to the user's body. This is a topic for a different question and does not need to be solved here.