Energy and Modern Technology

• Physics

  Is all about energy
• Energy


  The ability to do work
• Work

  The act of displacing something by applying force
• James Watt's invention


  Steam powered piston engine
• How does steam engines work?

  Steam Engines work by producing steam
• Coal and Natural Gas
• Coal and Natural Gas

  1: Burn it. Convert chemical potential energy into thermal energy

  2: Use the thermal energy released to heat water

  3: Turn water into steam

  4: Use the steam to turn the blades of the turbine
• Disadvantages of Coal and Natural Gas

  Greenhouse gases are produced
• Advantages


  Electricity can be made 24/7
• Another disadvantage of Coal and Natural Gas

  Coal and Natural gas are non-renewable. It means that we are gonna run out someday. We are burning through it faster than it can be made
• Nuclear Energy


  1: Allow a nuclear reaction to happen. Convert nuclear potential energy into thermal energy.

  2: Use the energy released to heat water

  3: Turn water into steam

  4: Use the steam to turn the blades of a turbine by transferring the kinetic energy of the water to the turbine.

  5: The turbine is connected to a generator.
• Advantage of Nuclear Energy

  Electricity can be made 24/7
• Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy

  Disposal of nuclear waste is disruptive to human DNA
• Nuclear energy can be obtained with two types of reaction


  fission and fusion
• Hydroelectricity


  1: Build a dam across a river

  2: Water flows down through the dam past a turbine. The turbine turns the potential energy of water to kinetic energy.

  3: Turbine is connected to a generator. This converts kinetic energy to electrical energy.
• Advantage of hydroelectricity


  Electricity can be made 24/7
• Advantage of hydroelectricity #2

  Renewable source of energy
• Advantage of hydroelectricity #3

  No greenhouse emissions
• Disadvantage of hydroelectricity


  changes the rivers ecosystem
• Disadvantage of hydroelectricity #2

  creatures that uses the river has a hard time
• Wind


  1: Build a wind turbine

  2: The wind pushes the blades of the turbine

  3: The turbine is connected to a generator
• Advantage of wind

  renewable source of energy
• Advantage of wind #2

  no greenhouse emission
• Disadvantage of wind


  electricity cannot be made 24/7
• Disadvantage of wind #2

  birds and bats have a hard time