Topic 3 - Conservation Of Energy Flashcards
efficiency
way of describing how good a machine is at transferring energy into useful forms
chemical energy
energy stored in food, fuel and batteries
kinetic energy
energy stored in moving objects
thermal energy
energy stored in hot objects
elastic potential energy
energy stored in stretched, squashed or twisted materials
gravitational potential energy
energy stored in objects in high position
atomic energy/nuclear energy
energy stored inside atoms
law of conservation of energy
energy cannot be created or destroyed; can only be transferred from one store to another
-> this means that the total energy transferred by system is the same as the energy put into the system
sankey diagram
the amount of energy that is transferred (it shows the useful and wasted energy)
-> the width of the arrows represents the amount of energy in joules
how is the efficiency of a machine described
between 0-1 - the higher the number the more efficient the machine
efficiency equation
efficiency = useful energy transferred by the device
total energy supplied to the device
what is wasteful energy
energy that is not used in the process and is transferred into the surroundings (e.g. when a lights turned on, heat gets dissipated into the surroundings; heat is wasted energy
electrical energy
energy stored in electricity
kinetic energy symbol equation
kinetic energy = 1/2 x m x v2
what does insulation do
slows down the rate at which energy is transferred out of a house by heating
conduction
vibrations are passed on between particles in a solid, easy energy transfer
—> metals are good thermal conductors and materials such as wood are poor thermal conductors (good thermal insulators)
convection
part of a fluid (liquid or gas) that is warmer than the rest rises and sets up a convection current
radiation
the only way in which energy can be transferred through a vacuum
infrared radiation
can also pass through gases and some solid materials
—> absorbed and emitted easily by dull, dark surfaces and emitted poorly by light, shiny surfaces
what effects the rate at which energy is transferred through material by heating
- it’s thickness
- thermal conductivity
- temperature difference across it
potential energy
possible energy stored in an object
gravitational potential energy
the Nagy store in a object due to gravity (it’s position in a gravitational field)
gravitational potential energy equation
gravitational potential energy (J) = mass (kg) x height (m) x gravitational field strength (N/kg)
kinetic energy word equation
kinetic energy = 1/2 x mass x (speed)2
(J) (kg) (m/s)2
when a object moves closer to the surface what’s the energy change?
GPE turns into KE
non-renewable energy resources
resources that will run out one day
renewable energy resources
resources that will not run out (natural)
name renewable energy sources
- solar energy (takes sun rays and converts it into energy)
- wind energy (wind turbines use wind to drive turbines and generate electricity)
- hydro energy (convert the gravitational potential or kinetic energy to produce power)
- tidal energy (produced by converting energy from the natural rise and fall of tides into useful forms of power, mainly electricity)
- bio fuel (made from animal wastes or from plants and are burned to create energy)
- geothermal energy (heat energy from earth)
name non-renewable energy sources
- fossil fuels (fossil fuels are burned to produce energy)
- coal energy (primarily used as fuel to generate electric power)
dissipated
Spread out
Why are fuels made from oil used in vehicles?
- they store a lot of energy
- they’re easy to store and use in engines
what are two advantages of using natural gas instead of coal to generate electricity?
- natural gases cause less pollution than burning coal
- Natural gas power stations also admit less common dioxide than other fossil fuel power stations producing the same amount of electricity
advantages of nuclear power over fossil fuel power stations
- Nuclear power stations do not admit any carbon dioxide or other gases
disadvantages of nuclear power over fossil fuelled power stations
- The waste nuclear power stations produce is radioactive and some of it will stay radioactive for millions of years
- This radioactive waste is expensive to dispose of safely
- Nuclear power stations are expensive to decommission (dismantle safely) at the end of its life —> more expensive
How can a student calculate the demand energy transferred to the surroundings?
Input - output