Free Essay

Energy

In: Science

Submitted By ababbitt11
Words 891
Pages 4
Energy
Agnese
Strayer University

Dr. Andrey R. Pavlov
Science 110
April 21, 2012

We recognize energy through the concepts of force and motion. When work is done on an object, it gains energy. Energy is made of two types, potential energy which is stored energy and kinetic energy which consists of moving energy. Food is stored energy. It is stored as a chemical with potential energy. When your body uses that stored energy to do work, it then becomes kinetic energy.(Integrated Science, 2008) Any form of energy can be converted to another form. Most technological devices that we use are recognized as energy converters. Energy cannot be created, nor destroyed. This is the reason why it exists in many forms. For example, a light bulb converts electrical energy to radiant energy. It can come in various forms, mechanical, chemical, radiant, electrical, and nuclear.
Thermodynamics is the study of energy being converted from one form to another. There are three laws of thermodynamics. The first law states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can be converted from one form to another. The second law states that heat energy can be transferred only from body at high temperature to the body at lower temperature. Heat can only be moved from high to low without external work being performed. If you want to move the heat energy from low temperature reservoir to high temperature reservoir, then something external must intercept in order for that to work. (Definition of Thermodynamics, 2012) For instance, an air conditioner or a refrigerator heat moved to low temperature to high temperature, needing electricity to work or perform properly. Finally, the last law of thermodynamics states that all molecular movement stops at the temperature of absolute zero or 0 Kelvin.
Fossil fuels contain stored radiant energy from organisms that lived millions of years ago. These fuels contain carbon, which are all in coal, oil, and gas. The reason they are such an important source of energy is simply because they fuel our economy from the planes, to the cars, heat, and electricity. They are all inexpensive but they are nonrenewable resources, meaning, they take millions of years to develop under extreme conditions. They can’t be recycled into the energy mix. (Fossil Fuels, 2012)
Two different alternatives to retrieve energy other than fossil fuels would be to use solar/wind energy and geothermal energy. With fossil fuels diminishing or polluting the air, there are other natural resources that can be used and are just as beneficial and environmental friendly. With these renewable energy sources becoming more affordable, it is a considerable change but the disadvantages must be outweighed heavily in order to make it an adaptable change for everyone.
Windmill and turbines are becoming more prevalent in farms for rural areas and businesses. A small turbine can produce enough energy for a house or even an entire school. In order for the wind turbine to be effective, wind speed must be able to be able 12 to 14 mph, in order to generate electricity. (Energy Store, 2012) When turbines are grouped together, they are called wind farms and they are able to generate enough electricity to power a city the size of San Francisco.
Solar energy is also another means of gathering natural source of energy through the sun. It’s also the most environmentally friendliest. We can change the sunlight directly electricity using solar cells. Solar cells are also called photovoltaic cells, which can normally be found in calculators and or many small appliances. The advantage of solar energy is that once it recovers the initial investment, it is free. (Energy Store, 2012) One of the major disadvantages of solar energy is that the sun doesn’t always shine. And pollution impedes the suns access to solar panels.
Geothermal energy is energy that is sourced from beneath the Earth’s surfaces. The process simply works with an injection well that drills into hot rock. Water is then injected to create a fracture for a reservoir. Another well is then drilled that interests the fracture and distributes water that pulls the heat. Although they leave few carbon footprints, they are only available from certain region on the planet.
All these sources of energy help us create innovative ways to become more environmentally friendly and try to reserve as much fossil fuels and nonrenewable resources. One day we will run out of oil and fossil fuels take millions of years to develop. Scientists are finding more productive measures to get our energy and how to get it distributive among the world. It may take a mix of these sources, but I believe that one day, we won’t have to rely on fossil fuels anymore.

References
1. Definition of Thermodynamics - How Energy is Converted From One Form to Another. Find Science & Technology Articles, Education Lesson Plans, Tech Tips, Computer Hardware & Software Reviews, News and More at Bright Hub. Retrieved April 20, 2012, from http://www.brighthub.com/engineering/mechanical/articles/3251.aspx
2. Profiles--Fossil Fuels » Explore More: The Future of Energy. (n.d.). Iowa Public Television. Retrieved April 20, 2012, from http://www.iptv.org/exploremore/energy/profiles/fossil_fuels.cfm
3. The Energy Story - Chapter 1: Energy - What Is It? . (n.d.). Energy Quest Room. Retrieved April 20, 2012, from http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/story/chapter01.html

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Energy

...down, charm, strange, top, or bottom. What can quarks be broken down to? Theoretical matter aka empty space. How do these things work? Energy, pure energy. When you break it down everything comes down to either empty space or energy. How do you control energy? You control energy with energy. There are several types of energy, but let’s start with the most basic. Good and bad. Good energy is when the energy you are using or the energy that is around is being used or put to a good purpose. Bad energy happens when the intent is to harm or negatively affect someone or something. You also have physical and mental energy. Physical energy is when you affect something outside of yourself, mental energy is what happens inside your own mind. There is potential for mental energy to become physical energy (like when your brain sends signals to muscles to move you) but one thing at a time. First let’s focus on bad energy. Define “bad”. Well: “bad-adjective-having undesirable or negative qualities.” Any type of energy can be “bad energy”. We all create bad energy every day. If we are angry at someone or angry at ourselves, that’s bad energy. If you hurt someone or yourself, that’s bad energy. Even if you are sad or upset that’s bad energy too. It all has an effect on our overall being. You can affect physical things with your bad energy by using mental energy that has been...

Words: 552 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Energy

...The Energy Document “Be humble, for you are made of earth. Be noble, for you are made of stars.” -Serbian Proverb Science can only talk about what it can measure and it cannot measure thoughts, love, spirit, or God; therefore, it cannot scientifically talk about those things. Science measures the physical make-up of the universe and talks about how it happened, not who made it. An obvious example of this is the illusion of conflict between creationist and evolutionist. They argue as if they are talking about the same thing when they are not. Creationist have no idea how it was done, they only know that God did it. Evolutionist are not at all interested in who did it, they are exploring all the possibilities from physical and mathematical evidence of how one thing led to another. Hydrogen is found to be the most abundant element in the universe (97%) and comprises the core of most stars. Stars are seen as fusion furnaces forming (creating), at the least, the elements of the periodic table up to iron. Science finds that 99.6% of the human body is comprised of 11 elements. 54 trace elements make up the rest of the body. We are made of star dust. Each atom in our bodies is at least 5 billion years old. I wonder where all they have been in that time. This is one big reason to start teaching the Periodic Table of Elements in the 1st Grade. Start with 5 elements that they encounter everyday: Oxygen (air) and Hydrogen (water); add Carbon and make carbon dioxide,...

Words: 1792 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Energy

...Energy Portfolio management (Like Financial Portfolio management) is the Key to solving today’s and the future’s energy issues….. by Doug Story I believe it has been determined and accepted by almost everyone in the financial management industry and by those of us that invest or have our jobs supply financial instruments such as IRAs, Roth IRAs, 401Ks, etc for our retirement that it is imperative that our financial portfolio be diversified in such a manner that when part of the portfolio drops in value other parts of the portfolio will climb so that we may maintain, protect and continue to grow our funds in preparation for retirement. For example, why was the ENRON collapse such a disaster to most of the employees at ENRON? ENRON management had put pressure on everyone in the company retirement program to put all of their retirement savings into ENRON stock, so when the stock collapsed from its record highs these employees lost everything. If many of the employees at ENRON had invested in a diversified portfolio most of the money they placed in their retirement accounts may have been protected from the collapse of the ENRON stock. What does “Diversified Retirement or Stock Portfolio” mean? Simply put it means having a retirement account that is spread out over a range of stocks, bonds, cash and even precious metals. If the stock market goes down, in theory the bonds and precious metals will stabilize or go up at a rate that equals or reduces the losses due to the stock...

Words: 1663 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Energy

...In physics, the kinetic energy of an object is the energy which it possesses due to its motion. It is defined as the work needed to accelerate a body of a given mass from rest to its stated velocity. Having gained this energy during its acceleration, the body maintains this kinetic energy unless its speed changes. The same amount of work is done by the body in decelerating from its current speed to a state of rest. In classical mechanics, the kinetic energy of a non-rotating object of mass m travelling at a speed v is ½ mv². In relativistic mechanics, this is only a good approximation when v is much less than the speed of light. In physics, potential energy is the energy of an object or a system due to the position of the body or the arrangement of the particles of the system. The SI unit for measuring work and energy is the joule (symbol J). The term potential energy was coined by the 19th century Scottish engineer and physicist William Rankine, although it has links to Greek philosopher Aristotle's concept of potentiality. Potential energy is associated with a set of forces that act on a body in a way that depends only on the body's position in space. This allows the set of forces to be considered as having a specified vector at every point in space forming what is known as a vector field of forces, or a force field. If the work of forces of this type acting on a body that moves from a start to an end position is defined only by these two positions and does not depend on...

Words: 486 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Energy

...this paper I will explain how energy can be modified from one pattern to another and give examples. I then will proceed by discussing what is meant by fossil fuels and explain why they are an attractive source of energy. Then, continue by describing two energy similarities to fossil fuels. I will also be discussing there way of functioning, how they compare with fossil fuels, and their pros and cons. Based on my research I leaned that energy can be modified from one example to another in various ways yet the total energy stays the same. The forces that are fundamental are nuclear, electromagnetic, gravitational and other objects that interact. The different forms in which they are categorized are as follows: chemical, radiant, nuclear, mechanical and electrical. Chemical energy involves chemical reactions and the chemical energy released is known as oxidation. It is stored and later released during chemical reaction. Radiant energy involves lights and other parts, its energy travels throughout space. Nuclear energy is used as a source in power plants and the mechanical energy is the type of energy of familiar objects and machines. The electrical energy travels to our homes through wires. The following are examples of Fossil fuels, petroleum, coal and natural gas. Fossil fuels have been stored through radiant energy which are organisms that lived millions of years ago. It’s attractive energy because it is the strongest source of energy and nothing can power things...

Words: 595 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Ocean Energy

...types of energy: thermal energy from the sun's heat, andmechanical energy from the tides and waves. Oceans cover more than 70% of Earth's surface, making them the world's largest solar collectors. The sun's heat warms the surface water a lot more than the deep ocean water, and this temperature difference creates thermal energy. Just a small portion of the heat trapped in the ocean could power the world. Workers install equipment for an ocean thermal energy conversion experiment in 1994 at Hawaii's Natural Energy Laboratory. Credit: A. Resnick, Makai Ocean Engineering, Inc. Ocean thermal energy is used for many applications, including electricity generation. There are three types of electricity conversion systems: closed-cycle, open-cycle, and hybrid. Closed-cycle systems use the ocean's warm surface water to vaporize a working fluid, which has a low-boiling point, such as ammonia. The vapor expands and turns a turbine. The turbine then activates a generator to produce electricity. Open-cycle systems actually boil the seawater by operating at low pressures. This produces steam that passes through a turbine/generator. And hybrid systems combine both closed-cycle and open-cycle systems. Ocean mechanical energy is quite different from ocean thermal energy. Even though the sun affects all ocean activity, tides are driven primarily by the gravitational pull of the moon, and waves are driven primarily by the winds. As a result, tides and waves are intermittent sources of energy, while...

Words: 376 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Alliant Energy

...Alliant Energy is an electrical power company that puts significant emphasis on diversity. It is committed to “creating a workplace that welcomes an individual’s talents, ideas and perspectives”. Alliant believes that by having a diverse workforce they will have more opportunities to succeed. Diversity will benefit this company by providing numerous sources of information for the use of global and social knowledge; positive perception from the media as diversity is a big issue in our world today and ensuring they have fair opportunities in the marketplace. Having diversity in the workplace brings a source of new knowledge, creativity and understanding to a business that makes it unique and brings the benefit of a worldlier point of view. It is important for an organization to recognize the potential of people of differing cultures, genders and lifestyles and the positive effect it can have. For example having an employee from a certain culture can educate a company on how to do business and negotiate with certain countries of the same culture. In a nation of so many different races and backgrounds it is important for a company to be able to cater to all the wants and needs of such a diverse community. The best way to do so is to have a diverse team of employees and managers working together to communicate, teach and understand each other and work on bringing the best service possible to a given market. Alliant understands these concepts and that is why it so committed to workforce...

Words: 253 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Energies

...In physics, energy can be defined as an indirectly observed quantity which comes in many forms including kinetic energy, potential energy, among others. Energy, like mass, is a scalar physical quantity and its S.I unit is joules. There are 2 categories of energy including: renewable (energy that comes from resources which are continually replenished such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat. Can also be defined as any energy resource that is naturally regenerated over a short time) and non renewable (energy from fossil fuels such as coal, crude oil, natural gas and uranium and exists freely in nature). Renewable energies include: Geothermal energy, Hydro-electric energy, Solar energy, Tidal energy, Nuclear energy, Wind energy, among others while non renewable energies include: petroleum, nuclear power, among others. ENERGY USE IN KENYA Renewable energy can be particularly suitable for developing countries like Kenya. In both rural and remote areas, distribution and transmission of energy generated through fossil fuels (non- renewable) can be difficult and expensive therefore it is easier to supply or use renewable energy. Energy use in Kenya includes: • Biomass (anything plant material or animal waste used as fuel)- 68% • Fossil fuels ( fuel consisting of remains of organism preserved in rocks in the earths crust with high carbon and hydrogen content)- 22% • Electricity (flow of electric power or charge)- 9% • Solar and wind- less than 1% Very...

Words: 296 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Energy

...converting energy from one form to electricity. The process used may be a direct conversion process, where the energy source is converted directly to electricity. An example of this is solar photovoltaic cells, which converts the energy found in solar radiation directly to electricity. An indirect conversion process consists of converting energy from one form, to an intermediate form, to electricity. Coal-fired generating plants are an example of the indirect process, as the chemical energy released as heat by burning the coal is changed to rotating kinetic energy by the steam turbine, and then the rotating kinetic energy is converted to electricity. The majority of the electricity today is produced through an indirect energy conversion process. Both indirect and direct processes use the following major sources of energy for the production of electricity: fossil fuels, nuclear energy, solar radiation, and hydro energy. Fossil fuels include coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Fossil fuels are a finite, non-renewable resource. They remain the primary source for the production of electricity. The combustion of these fuels releases their chemical energy, which produces heat to power steam turbines. The steam turbines power rotating electric generators, which turn kinetic energy into electricity. No energy conversion process converts all the energy present in one form completely into the new form. Since the production of electricity from fossil fuels involves several energy conversion...

Words: 1142 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

Energy Week

...Let us say something about Energy that I know while I was in high school Physics class. Energy is usually defined as the ability to do work. In general; we would say that energy is fundamental entity whose availability and flow are required for all phenomena, natural or artificial. Energy neither be created nor destroyed; rather it is changed from one form to another. That means mechanical energy, such as the kinetic energy of motion can be converted to heat energy. Let’s come to the type of energy source used by cell? Cells seek their energy in the form of food molecules or sunlight. The Sun is the ultimate source of energy for almost all cells, because photosynthetic prokaryotes, algae, and plant cells uses solar energy to make the complex organic food molecules that other cells rely on for the energy required sustaining growth, metabolism, and reproduction. Complex organic food molecules such as sugars, fats, and proteins are rich sources of energy for cells. Prokaryotic or Eukaryotic Cells do not use the energy from oxidation reactions as soon as it is released. Instead, they convert it into small, energy-rich molecules such as ATP and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), which can be used throughout the cell to power metabolism and construct new cellular components. Passive Transport is one form of energy transfer in a cell that does not require the use of energy, molecules move randomly in a cell and molecules spread out in a cell from an area of high concentration...

Words: 406 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Energy Awareness

...sun in the earth’s atmosphere, which increases the temperature. One thing that causes Global Warming is electrical pollution. We use fossil fuels that are burned in creating electricity. Fossil fuels such as oils and petroleum are sent to the air when fossil fuels are burned. We use these sources of energy more than the sources that give off pollution like solar panels and wind turbines. Petroleum, one of the sources of energy is used for transportation, making electricity and many others. Just by turning on a light, watching television, riding a car, using an airconditioner, using computer causes pollution. If you think of how many times a day you do these things and add in how many other people also doing it , turns out to be a lot of pollutants going into the air a day. The least amount of electricity we use, the better. We can do many things to help stop Global Warming, like lessening the hours of watching television, using energy – saving fluorescent lamps. We can use bicycle, walk or take the bus from time to time instead of using cars. Open the windows instead of using airconditioners. These things are all very easy to do, and these will make a difference. Using less energy or using it more efficiently. It will help the environment and our planet a...

Words: 258 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

First Energy

...summarize my understanding of the first three chapter of the course. I will relate the understanding of certain topics of how it pertains to my current organization. I have found that reading the first three chapters has given a new found understanding of how different factors determine why and how business decisions are made. Organizations are a very complex piece of machinery. Each piece of the machinery has to be running smoothly for the machine to run at its upmost potential. First Energy has become a very big player in the energy market. The footprint of First Energy customers starts off in Toledo, Ohio down to Fairmont, West Virginia all the way to the East coast of Maryland and New Jersey. The reason for such success is the the entire package of inputs, conversion and outputs to create such a successful organization. The inputs of my organization are the many people of the organization that keep the entire process of producing and delivering electricity to its assortment of customers. First Energy has been able to maximize the use of coal, wind, hydro, and nuclear plant to produce electricity at a price that is comparable to any utility which fits in the category of conversion. The transmission system of FE has been upgraded to allow for outages on line while still keeping customers energized. There are a few instances in which the company has failed to come through but they live and learn from these situations and try to minimize risk. These two circumstances show the ability...

Words: 815 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Energy Poster

...The potential energy stored in chemical bonds holding the object together. Chemical energy is released due to chemical reaction. It is a type of potential energy. Chemical energy is stored within the bonds of the atoms and molecules that make up a substance. Once chemical energy is released from a substance, the substance is transformed into a new substance. Chemical energy is stored inside a substance or object until it is involved in a chemical reaction. Our bodies use chemical energy to perform daily functions. Cooking is a good example of a chemical reaction that releases chemical energy. Batteries and explosives are other examples of objects that contain stored chemical energy. There are six basic types of chemical reactions: combustion, synthesis, single displacement, decomposition, double displacement, and acid-base. During combustion, chemical energy in the form of heat is released when oxygen combines with other substances to form water and carbon dioxide. Example: Magnesium and oxygen react to produce heat and light energy. The potential energy stored in chemical bonds holding the object together. Chemical energy is released due to chemical reaction. It is a type of potential energy. Chemical energy is stored within the bonds of the atoms and molecules that make up a substance. Once chemical energy is released from a substance, the substance is transformed into a new substance. Chemical energy is stored inside a substance or object until it is...

Words: 709 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Matter and Energy

... MATTER and ENERGY MATTER and ENERGY 1. Matter and Energy 2.1 Physical and Chemical Changes 1.8 Temperature 2.2 Classification of Matter 1.9 What is Thermometer? 2.3 Mixtures & Pure Substances 1.10 Heat and Thermodynamics 2.4 Matter and its Phases 1.11 Energy Mass Relationship 2.5 Properties of Matter 1.12 Personal Reaction 2.6 ENERGY 2.7 Heat Energy 2. Matter and Energy 3.8 Physical and Chemical Changes 1.8 Temperature 3.9 Classification of Matter 1.9 What is Thermometer? 3.10 Mixtures & Pure Substances 1.10 Heat and Thermodynamics 3.11 Matter and its Phases 1.11 Energy Mass Relationship 3.12 Properties of Matter 1.12 Personal Reaction 3.13 ENERGY 3.14 Heat Energy Matter and Energy Matter and Energy 1. Matter & Energy Anything that we can see, touch or sense is made up of matter. The computer screen, the keyboard in front of you, the air that you breathe, the water that you drink are all examples of matter. Matter is anything that occupies space and has mass. Energy is not the same as matter, although the two are closely related and associated. Energy has the ability to...

Words: 3522 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Solar Energy

...organisms need energy in order to survive. The way that the energy is obtained is through a process known as photosynthesis. Photosynthesis uses energy from the sunlight, solar energy, to produce sugar where sugar is then converted into chemical energy. In order for a plant to use sugar to convert into chemical energy, the the plant must have water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight. These substances are then transported to the leaves where photosynthesis takes place. Photosynthesis occurs in two stages, light reactions and dark reactions. Light reactions take place in the day where sunlight is required and taken to create ATP; where dark reactions do not require sunlight, but usually take place during the day as well and carbon dioxide is converted to sugar. Semiconductor-based solar cell is used to generate electric energy. Semiconductors are the devices that are located in a solar cell that absorb the sunlight in order for electric energy to be created. These devices have proven to be efficient due to the fact that they easily absorb sunlight and require less solar energy in order to be converted. Photosynthesis is used to create energy that living organisms need in order to survive and semiconductor-based solar cells are used to create energy that we do not have to have, but have found to be very helpful and have come to depend on. The differences between these solar energy absorbers is photosynthesis absorbs less sunlight and more energy is required for energy to be produced...

Words: 538 - Pages: 3