What is energy?O Energy is the ability to do work.

O Just as food gives us energy to focus and play.

O Different forms of “natural” energyO potentialO KineticO Thermal (heat)O NuclearO ChemicalO radiant

Natural vs. ArtificialO There are forms of energy that are

found in nature – radioactive elements like uranium (nuclear energy) - and there are artificial forms of energy such as cars moving due to petroleum.

Artificial EnergyO There are two subdivisions in the

artificial energy category:O Non-renewable energy: none left once

it is used up O Renewable energy: can be used over

and over again

Non-Renewable and Renewable

O Non renewable energy:O petroleumO CoalO NuclearO Natural gas

O Renewable energy:O SolarO WindO BiomassO TidalO HydroO geothermal

Petroleum, Coal, Natural Gas,

O Petroleum, Coal and Natural Gas all originate from fossil fuels (fuels formed by the natural decomposition of buried animals and plants over a long period of time).

NuclearO Nuclear fission (splitting atoms) that

occurs during a nuclear reaction, creates heat which is pressurized as steam. The steam is used to generate electricity through steam turbines.

Nuclear

Solar, Wind, HydroO Solar: create electrical power by

converting radiation from the sun through material that creates voltage when exposed to light.

O Wind: moving air (wind) makes blades rotate which in turn rotates a generator which produces electricity.

O Hydro: moving water (from rivers) cause water turbines to rotate and generate electricity.

Biomass, tidal, geothermal

O Biomass: organic material from plants convert the sun’s energy into chemical energy. This chemical energy can then be extracted from the biomass through combustion, to produce energy that can be used as heat.

O Tidal: like hydro, it converts energy from tides (water moving according to the Earth-Moon relations) into electricity.

O Geothermal: heat energy from the Earth’s interior (radioactive decay, volcanic activity, Earth’s inner core)