Energy & uses in our daily life

Energy: the capacity for doing work. It may exist in potential, kinetic, thermal,
electrical, chemical, nuclear, or other various forms.

We use energy daily in so many fields such as:

- Space heating
- Pumps & Fans
- Space cooling “ Air conditioner”
- Lighting homes – workplaces – etc..
- Producing hot water
Types of energy

The energy that we use in our daily has two types:

I - Renewable energy.

II - Non-renewable energy.
 Renewable energy
Renewable energy: Sources of energy that can be recycled through biochemical
process along with sustainable practice.

- It uses sustainable practice, action that helps to decrease environmental pollution

and protects biodiversity.

- Abiotic factors such as: Water – sunlight – wind are renewable resources.

Biotic factors such as: forests – wildlife are also renewable resources.
- Renewable sources: resource that can be replaced in nature at a rate close to its
rate
of use.
We can produce energy through renewable sources such as: Solar energy –
Hydropower energy – Biomass energy – Geothermal energy – Wind energy.
Non-Renewable
energy

Non-Renewable energy: Sources that can not be replenished once used and
sustained readily.

Non-Renewable sources can be restored, but this will take a long time
compared to its usage.

- It helps in releasing pollutants and carbon dioxide ( Co2 ) When burned. Its
not very eco-friendly.

- Most known energy sources for this type are coal – Natural gas – petroleum
oil – nuclear energy.
Methods of generating
electricity
Firstly: Non-renewable methods
 Fossil fuels
Fossil fuels consists of: Petroleum – Natural gas – Coal.

- The origin of fossil fuels starts with Photosynthesis which is the reaction that
combines water and carbon dioxide from the Earth and its atmosphere with solar
energy to form organic molecules that make up plants and oxygen essential for
respiration. If the reaction runs in reverse, it produces energy.

- When oxygen is added to organic material, either through decay by reaction with
oxygen in the atmosphere, or by adding oxygen directly by burning, energy is
produced, and water and carbon dioxide return to the Earth or its atmosphere.

- Notes:
I - Fossil fuels provide most of the energy used in the world today.
II - They are burned in power plants to produce electrical energy, and they also fuel
cars, heat
homes, and supply energy for many other purposes.
III - Fossil fuels contain stored chemical energy that came originally from the sun.
Petroleum & Natural Gas
To produce a fossil fuel, the organic matter must be rapidly buried in the Earth
so that it does not oxidize, then a series of slow chemical reactions occur which
turn the organic molecules into hydrocarbons- Oil and Natural Gas, together
called Petroleum.

Hydrocarbons: Complex organic molecules that consist of chains of hydrogen

and carbon.
Petroleum consists of many different such hydrocarbons, but the most
important of these are a group known as the paraffins, paraffins have the
chemical formula: CnH2n+2
Most petroleum is produced from rocks of Cenozoic age, with less produced
from rocks of Mesozoic and Paleozoic age.
 Coal
The energy in coal is from solar radiation that is stored as
chemical energy in rock.
Coal: A sedimentary or metamorphic rock produced in
swamps where there is a large-scale accumulation of organic
matter from plants, as the plants die, they accumulate to
first become peat. Compaction of the peat due to burial
drives off volatile components like water and methane,
eventually producing a black-colored organic-rich coal called
lignite. Further compaction and heating results in a more
carbon-rich coal called bituminous coal. If the rock becomes
metamorphosed, a high-grade coal called anthracite is
produced. However, if temperatures and pressures become
extremely high, all the carbon is converted to graphite.
Graphite will burn only at high temperatures and is
therefore not useful as an energy source.
Anthracite coal produces the most energy when burned,
with less energy produced by bituminous coal and lignite.
Process of turning fossil fuel into
electricity
Advantages & Disadvantages of using fossil
fuels
 Nuclear fission
- Nuclear energy has no pollution.

- Nuclear power (nuclear fission) is generated mostly from uranium. Nuclear fission is the
breaking down of an atom into smaller atoms, releasing energy, despite it being one of the
non-renewable sources, nuclear fission doesn’t contribute to global warming. Nuclear power
produces around 11% of the world's energy needs.

Although not much waste is produced, it is

very dangerous. It must be sealed up and buried for many years to allow the radioactivity to
die away.

- How does nuclear power work? It works just like fossil fuels except that instead of burning
fuel, nuclear fission produces energy in the form of heat to make steam.

Nuclear Fusion is a long-term resource.

Nuclear fission occurs from the fission of uranium, thorium, platinum, or hydrogen into
helium.
Process of nuclear fission
 Advantages & Disadvantages of using
nuclear fission

Advantages:

- It does not emit CO2 and other harmful gases.

- Continuously generates electricity.

Disadvantages:

- It is expensive to start & maintain nuclear power plants.

- Not so safe.
- It produces toxic waste that remains toxic for many years.
- It is non–renewable.
Methods of generating
electricity
Secondly: Renewable methods
 Hydro-electric Power
• It is the electrical power derived from the flow of water
on Earth’s surface.
• Water is the top renewable resource used to generate
electric power.

• Hydroelectric power is generated when flowing water

spins a turbine.

• The turbine is connected to a generator. Hydroelectric

plants are located where suitable
• waterways are available, for ex: The High dam in
Aswan.

• Seventy percent of the hydroelectric power in the

United States is generated in the Pacific
• and Rocky Mountain states.
Types of hydro-power
Advantages & Disadvantages of using
hydroelectric power
 Wind Power
- The wind blows the blades of the turbine,
which are attached to a rotor. The rotor then
spins a generator to create electricity.

There are two types of wind turbines:

Horizontal-axis wind turbine
I - Horizontal-axis wind turbine- (HAWTs)

II - Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs).

HAWTs are the most common type of wind

turbine. They usually have two or three long,
thin blades that look like an airplane propeller.
The blades are positioned so that they face
directly into the wind.

Vertical-axis wind turbine & its types

Advantages & Disadvantages of using wind power
 Solar Power
Solar power can be generated through 2 methods:

Solar cells: They’re also known as “photovoltaic” and

“photoelectric” cells. They convert the
light that comes from the sun into electricity. It was very
expensive, and it doesn’t work at
night due to the lack of light. Solar cells Can be
unreliable unless you're in a very sunny
climate.

Solar Furnaces: Solar furnaces are another technique for

using solar energy other than
solar cells. A huge array of mirrors is used to concentrate
the Sun's energy into a small space
And produce very high temperatures. It’s the same idea
as using a lens to concentrate the
sunlight on a point to burn the paper.

Photovoltaic energy is the energy associated with the

direct conversion of solar radiation to
electricity
Advantages & Disadvantages of using solar energy
 Geothermal energy
It comes from heat energy buried beneath the surface of Earth. Most of this
heat is at depths beyond current drilling methods. In some areas of the country,
magma flows close enough to the surface of Earth to produce steam. That
steam can then be used in steam-turbine plants.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Geothermal energy
 Biomass energy

• Biomass energy is energy generated or produced by living or

once-living organisms

• Biomass is the waste of plants and animals as also wood, Solid

waste, and Agricultural waste.

• It’s used to produce fossil fuels like oil, methanol, and natural gas.
Biomass is a renewable resource, but it shares the same issue of
global warming just like other fossil fuels.

• For example, sugarcane is considered biomass. Sugar cane is

harvested and taken to a mill, where it is
crushed to extract the juice. The juice is used to make sugar, whilst
the left-over pulp, called "bagasse" can be burned in a power station
to produce electricity using turbines.

• Biomass is the remains of plants and animals. (Peat is not

biomass).
Advantages & Disadvantages of Biomass
 Electricity
- Electric energy: is the amount of work that can be done by
electricity. Its unit of measure is the watt-hour (Wh)

- Electric power: is the rate at which electricity does work. It is measured at a

point in time. The unit of measure for electric power is a watt (W). (Joule / sec)
- Electricity: it is the set of physical phenomena associated with the pressure
and motion of
matter that has a proper electric charge.

- Appliance capacity: The rate at which an appliance transforms electric energy

to the energy required.
Power Vs Energy

Power (Watts / Kilowatts): it is like the flow rate of water.

Energy (Watt/hours – Kilowatt/hours): it is like the amount of water that ends
up in the bucket.
 Important Geo Words
- Nuclear fission: the process by which an atomic nucleus splits into two or more large
fragments of comparable mass, simultaneously producing additional neutrons and vast
amounts of energy.

- Nuclear fusion: a nuclear process that releases energy when lightweight nuclei combine to
form heavier nuclei.

- Electric power: rate of power associated with the generation and transmission of
electricity.

- Electric energy: energy associated with the generation and transmission of electricity.

- Fossil fuel: fuel derived from materials (mainly coal, petroleum, and natural gas)that were
generated from fossil organic matter and stored deep in Earth for geologically long times.

- Geothermal energy: energy derived from hot rocks and/or fluids beneath Earth’s surface.

- Photovoltaic energy: energy associated with the direct conversion of solar radiation to
electricity.
 Important Geo Words

- Turbine: a rotating machine or device that converts the mechanical energy of fluid flow
into mechanical energy of rotation of a shaft.

- Renewable resource: a resource that can be replaced in nature at a rate close to its rate
of use.

- Hydroelectric power: electrical power derived from the flow of water on Earth’s surface.

- Non-renewable resource: a resource that exists in a fixed amount or is used faster than it
can be replaced in nature.

- Appliance capacity: the rate at which an appliance transforms electric energy required,
for example, you might see 1200 watts/hour. So, A dryer used for 15 minutes would require
300w/h of electric energy.