There two main types of energy these are:
1. Potential energy
2. Kinetic energy
Potential energy
Potential energy is energy stored due to position. The following are some example in which potential energy can be found.
1. Wound-up spring
When a spring of a dock work toy car unwinds, the stored energy in the spring drives the wheels and the car moves. The wound-up spring is said to posse potential energy.
2. A raised object
An object raised to a height above the Earth’s surface posse potential energy due to its position. Other objects possessing potential energy include;
3. Cultputt with a stone
4. An arrow pulled on the bow
5. Magnets
Kinetic energy
This is the energy possessed by a moving body.
Example include the following:
1. A moving car
When a car is moving it is said to posses kinetic energy. This energy depends on the moving.
2. When a boulder on a top of a hill is hurled down its energy changes from potential energy to kinetic energy.
Energy resources
Energy resources are stores of convertible energy. These resources are divided into two groups:
Non renewable resources which include fossil fuels (e.g. coal, oil and gas) and nuclear fuels.
Renewable resources, which include wind, tidal, geothermal, and hydroelectric power.
The Essay on Potential and kinetic energy
How does the drop height (gravitational potential energy) of a ball affect the bounce height (kinetic energy) of the ball? Variables: Independent variable- drop height Dependent variable- bounce height Controlled variables (constants) - type of ball, measurement(unit), place bounced, and the materials used for each experiment. Hypothesis: If the gravitational potential energy (drop height) of the ...
Non renewable sources
Are used in thermal power stations to produce heat energy that turns water into steam. The steam drives turbines and in turn drives the generators that produce electrical energy.
Fossil fuels
Coal, oil and natural gas are all called fossil fuels because they are fossilized remains of plants and animals that live million of years ago. Burning fossil fuels release chemicals that cause acid rain, and its gradually increasing the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere causing global warming.
Oil
Largest energy source. Future use will depend on shift from growing to declining supply.
Coal
The most plentiful fossil fuel. Coal use is growing, intensifying problems of acid rain and carbon dioxide.
Natural gas
Likely to replace oil in a number of uses. Uneven distribution and transportation difficulties make it useful to only a few nations.
Nuclear fuels
The energy of the fossil fuels is released in a nuclear reactor from the uranium. Their fuels create environmental problems if only radiation leakage occurs.
Renewable resources
In most cases energy source is used to drive turbines directly as it explained in the early cases of hydroelectric, wind, wave, tidal and geothermal schemes.
Solar energy
Many renewable resources take advantage of the energy in sunlight. The Sun’s energy can be trapped directly by photovoltaic cells, which convert light into electricity. Other solar energy plants use mirrors to direct sunlight onto pipes containing a liquid. The liquid boils and is used to drive an electricity generator. The Sun’s energy also drives the wind and waves, so energy produced by wind farms and wave-driven generators is also derived from the sun.
Gravitational energy
Hydroelectric and tidal power stations make use of gravitational forces. The Earth’s gravity pulls water downward through the turbines in a hydroelectric power station. In a tidal power station, the Moons gravity lifts water as the tides rise, giving the water potential energy (energy due to position) which is released as the water flows through a turbine.
The Essay on Renewable Energy Fuel Cell
Fuel Cell: Fuel cells have been known to science for 150 years and have become the subject of intense research since World War II. A fuel cell generates electricity by producing a chemical reaction. It consists of two electrodes (cathode and anode), which is also where the reaction occurs. Hydrogen is the basic fuel cell, but all fuel cells also require oxygen, and both are supplied from external ...
Geothermal energy
Geothermal energy (the heat energy of hot rocks deep beneath the Earth’s surface) is due to gravity compressing and heating the rocks when the earth formed.
Wind energy
Wind turbines with two or three blades cover up to 30m long drive electric generators.
Wave energy
A wave-energy converter transfers sea waves into the rotary motion required to drive a generator.
Biomass (vegetable fuels)
This includes cultivated crops (e.g. oil-seed rape), crop residues (e.g. cereal straw), natural vegetation (e.g. gorse), trees 9e.g. Spruce) grow for their wood, animal dung and sewage. Bio fuels such as alcohol (ethanol) and methane gas are obtained from them by fermentation using enzymes or by decomposition by bacterial action in the absence of air.
