Physical Science: Energy How Energy Can Be Essay

PAGES
3
WORDS
901
Cite

Physical Science: Energy How Energy Can be Converted from one Form to Another, With Examples

"Energy" is defined as the capacity to produce changes within a system. Within a system, energy can be changed to a different state in order to perform work in natural processes or machines (Shipman, Wilson, & Todd, 2009, pp. 88-89). Plants, animals and machines all convert energy to perform work in their processes. Through Photosynthesis, green plants use Chlorophyll, composed of miniature energy factories called Chloroplasts, to convert solar energy into storable chemical energy as a sugar called Glucose (Nave, Pigments for photosynthesis, n.d.). In the body of an animal or human, the cells' energy factories, called Mitochondria, contain Organelles, which convert chemical energy stored in food into Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), which is the energy used in life processes (Nave, Mitochondria, n.d.). An internal combustion engine, such as a car's engine, converts the potential chemical energy in gasoline and oxygen into heat, then into kinetic (here, mechanical) energy, which propels the car (Cromer & Proctor II, 2012).

2. The Meaning of Fossil Fuels, Why They are an Attractive Energy Source, and Why They are an Unattractive Energy Source

Fossil fuels are hydrocarbons formed from the remains of dead plants and animals. The most prevalent forms of fossil fuels are coal, fuel oil and natural gas (Science Daily, 2010). They are an attractive energy source for several reasons: initially, they were easy to extract, plentiful, easy to Virginia Tech, 2007)

Fossil fuels are also an unattractive source of fuel because they are inefficient and result in considerable pollution. Since no conversion process can convert all the energy of one form into the new form and since the conversion of fossil fuels into electricity takes several steps, fossil fuels are an inefficient source of electric power, hovering around 40% efficiency. Fossil fuels also pollute the environment with fly ash, and "greenhouse gases" such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrous oxides gases. These "greenhouse gases" contribute to acid rain and global warming effects (Consortium on Energy Restructuring, Virginia Tech, 2007; PhysicsnScience, 2011).

3. Two Energy Alternatives to Fossil Fuels

Two energy alternatives to fossil fuels are hydroelectric power and wind power, both of which are indirect types of solar power. Hydroelectric power is an indirect source of solar power because it uses the "stream-flow" portion of the hydrological cycle. In hydroelectric power plants, a…

Sources Used in Documents:

Works Cited

Consortium on Energy Restructuring, Virginia Tech. (2007). Distributed generation | education modules | chapter 2: sources of energy. Retrieved from Virginia Tech University Web site: http://www.dg.history.vt.edu/ch2/sources.html

Cromer, O.C., & Proctor II, C.L. (2012, January 8). Gasoline engine. Retrieved from Britannica.com Web site: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/226592/gasoline-engine

Nave, R. (n.d.). Mitochondria. Retrieved from Hyperphysics.phy-ast.gsu.edu: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/biology/mitochondria.html

Nave, R. (n.d.). Pigments for photosynthesis. Retrieved from Hyperphysics.phy-ast.gsu.edu: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/biology/pigpho.html#c2
PhysicsnScience. (2011, September 15). How efficient is hydroelectric power generation? Retrieved from PhysicsnScience Web site: http://physicssciencenscience.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-efficient-is-hydroelectric-power.html#!/2011/09/how-efficient-is-hydroelectric-power.html
Science Daily. (2010). Fossil fuel. Retrieved from Science Daily.com Web site: http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/f/fossil_fuel.htm


Cite this Document:

"Physical Science Energy How Energy Can Be" (2012, January 09) Retrieved April 24, 2024, from
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/physical-science-energy-how-energy-can-83827

"Physical Science Energy How Energy Can Be" 09 January 2012. Web.24 April. 2024. <
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/physical-science-energy-how-energy-can-83827>

"Physical Science Energy How Energy Can Be", 09 January 2012, Accessed.24 April. 2024,
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/physical-science-energy-how-energy-can-83827

Related Documents

Physical Science: Heat It is reasonable to suggest that just about everyone has felt the warmth of the sun or warmed themselves by a fireside, but many people may not understand the source of the energy they are feeling, particularly at the molecular level. Without heat, though, humankind would soon cease to exist and the universe would quickly collapse into an absolute zero nothingness. To gain some further insights into this

Physical Science Grade Course Describe the difference between a mixture and a compound For basic understanding, a mixture comprises of two or more different substances which are not chemically combined to each other. On the other hand, a compound consists two or more chemically bonded different substances which are present in a fixed ratio. In other words, the difference between a mixture and a compound is evident from the mentioned definitions. Furthermore, there are

Physical Science
PAGES 2 WORDS 674

Physical Science Andrew Cuomo is a Democrat elected to Governor of New York State (Green N.Y.). He believes in a strategy that stems back to the Obama administration, involving reformation of the energy sector of New York to facilitate the recovery of the economy (Cohen, 2011). Cuomo champions for a lower carbon emission energy that is "greener" and better environmentally, that also stimulates the economy as it creates more jobs and

Physical Science
PAGES 4 WORDS 1521

Physical Science Elemental Isotopes and Allotropes The 19th century discovery of the periodic table of the elements by Dmitri Mendeleev gave an organizing principle to understanding the structure of the atom, and deriving atomic weight. On the periodic table, the lighter elements have atomic weights which correspond to whole numbers. Hydrogen has an atomic weight of 1, which corresponds to the idea that it has only one proton (and the weight of

Physcical Science Procedures in the Physical Science Procedures in the Physical Sciences: Challenges in Measurements Identify three (3) specific challenges to making direct measurements in the fields of astronomy, chemistry, physics, or earth science. Describe how scientists have utilized indirect forms of measure to overcome these challenges. Ever since the ancient times, individuals have always been pulled into the unknown. Human beings have always been inquisitive in regards to everything that was going

Biology autonomous from physical sciences? Background of debate Biological science has undergone a time of progressive change in the last few decades. A distinctive element of this progress has been a continuous addition of fresh theoretical points-of-view and methods from physics and chemistry (the physical sciences). The most interesting fresh innovations in contemporary Biology are closely linked with how these new theories and methods are applied. There is a unanimous consensus