As a refresher from the lesson on What is Energy?, let’s recall that oil and gas are chemical energy sources valued for their energy or heat content. We can generate burn oil and gas to convert its chemical energy into heat energy. Think about the furnace that warms your home during the winter months, the …
Now that we’ve taken a closer look at renewable energy consumption on a global scale, let’s turn our focus towards fossil fuels. Recount from the previous topic page, fossil fuels, such as coal, crude oil, and natural gas, are non-renewable energy sources. This means the timescale needed to replenish these energy resources is much longer …
Now that you have a better understanding of the differences between primary and secondary energy, and have completed your own analysis of global primary energy consumption numbers, let’s move on to another topic: What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy? When energy sources are consumed they must be replenished over time in order …
In the previous lesson we learned about the difference between primary and secondary energy. As a refresher, by definition, “primary energy (PE) is an energy form found in nature that has not been subject to any human engineered conversion process. It is energy contained in raw fuels and other forms of energy, including waste, received …
Energy doesn’t just have implications for our standard of living. Energy production and consumption greatly impacts the environment too. Currently more than 80% of the world’s energy use relies on fossil fuels including oil, natural gas, and coal. With energy demand increasing globally, emissions from fossil fuel combustion are key contributors to climate change, with …
Now that we have a better perspective on the energy required for luxury items like a hot shower, we can see that we are often unaware and take for granted the energy we demand. In order to meet those needs modern society and our standard of living depend heavily on energy, machines, and ingenuity of …
Once we lift our sack of potatoes into the air, we will have potential energy. You can think of an analogy as the water in a reservoir behind a hydropower dam. The stored energy in the reservoir is converted into kinetic energy (motion) as the water flows down a large pipe and spins a turbine. …
How much energy is required to heat enough water for a twenty minute shower? Before we begin the exercise we must collect all of the data. Let’s say these are the typical parameters for a Texas high-school student taking a twenty-minute hot shower: Tap water temperature = 60℉ Hot water shower temperature = 110℉ Shower …
Now that we have been introduced to energy, how we measure energy, and the impact of energy consumption on standard of living, let’s take a new approach to gain perspective on energy and power. How do we use energy on demand? Two examples could be taking a hot shower or drying your hair. For this …
Energy is a necessity for our everyday lives, and has a great impact on our standard of living and economic growth. The United States alone, one of the most energy efficient countries globally, consumes 90 quadrillion BTU per year, with a population of 330 million people. If we burned all of that energy by driving …