Assignment 1 Sci (1)

7/29/2019 Assignment 1 Sci (1)

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Assignment No. 1

Assignment No. 1

Tien Dao

Sci 110

Professor Zahra Paraste Panah


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In this research paper, one will learn how energy can be converted from one form to another,

followed by specific examples. This research will explain what fossil fuels are, and why they are

an attractive source of energy. The final topic discussed is different alternatives to fossil fuels,

how they work, and also how they compare with fossil fuels along with their relative advantages

as well as disadvantages.

First discuss how energy can be converted from one form to another, giving specificexamples

In science, energy is defined as the ability to do work. Work is done when a force cause

something to move. Energy also can be defined as the ability to cause change. When work is

done, something move and a change occurs, energy moves from place to place or changes from

one form to another. (Integrated Science: 2009 custom edition (4thed.). McGraw-Hill, p.65)

According to the Law of Conservation of Energy, energy can neither be created nor

destroyed. On the large scale, this law means that the total energy in the whole universe does not

change. It only transferred and transformed.

Example how energy is converted from one form to another:

One of the most useful inventions of the nineteenth century was the electric light bulb.

Being able to light up the dark has enable people to work and play longer. A light bulb converts

electrical energy to heat energy and light, another form of energy.

Define what we mean by fossil fuels and explain why there are attractive sources of

energy.

According to the definition in the Introduction to Physical Science, fossil fuels is organic

fuels that contain the stored radiant energy of the Sun converted to chemical energy by plants or


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animals that lived millions of years ago; coal, petroleum, and natural gas are the common fossil

fuels. (Integrated Science: 2009 custom edition (4thed.). McGraw-Hill, p.715)

Petroleum and natural gas formed from the remains of tiny organisms that lived millions

of years ago. Coal, on the other hand, formed from an accumulation of plant materials that

collected under special conditions millions of years ago. (Integrated Science: 2009 custom

edition (4thed.). McGraw-Hill, p.68)

There are many reasons that fossil fuels are attractive sources of energy:

First, fossil fuels are relatively marvelous energy sources. The variety of fossil plus the

technology mankind has developed to produce and convert them to useful purposes is a

marvelous combination.

Second, fossil fuels are attractive not only because they are available and relatively

inexpensive but also because we have learned to use them so effectively. The relatively simple

technology of controlled combustion provides energy for both small- and large-scale

applications. Almost exclusively, liquids refined from petroleum power the world's

transportation systems because these fuels have such a high energy density, because they are so

portable, and because of the development of the internal combustion engine and the modern jet

engine.

Third, although many non-fossil energy sources exist, none, either separately or

collectively, are ready to substitute for fossil fuels worldwide at the necessary large scale and

with the performance, cost, and social acceptance required to be competitive. Nuclear power is

perhaps the nearest to being ready, but a significantly expanded deployment is constrained by

concerns over reactor safety, accidental reactor damage, and diversion of nuclear fuel to

weapons.


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Describe two different energy alternatives to fossil fuels in detail. Discuss how theywork, how they compare with fossil fuels, and their relative advantages and

disadvantages.

Nowadays, there are many energy alternatives to replace fossil fuels, for example: wind,

solar, biomass, wave and tidal energy. They are kinds of energy fueled in ways that do not use

up natural resources or harm the environment.

The first energy alternative to replace fossil fuels that I want to discuss about is solar

energy. According to National Geographic, every hour the sun beams onto Earth more than

enough energy to satisfy global energy needs for an entire year. Solar energy is the technology

used to harness the sun's energy and make it useable.

People may be familiar withphotovoltaic cells or more common word solar panels. It can

be found on things like spacecraft, rooftops, and handheld calculators. The cells are made of

semiconductor materials like those can be found in computer chips. When sunlight hits the cells,

it knocks electrons loose from their atoms. As the electrons flow through the cell, they generate

electricity.

Compare to the fossil fuels, the solar energy has many advantages. The solar energy is

lauded as an inexhaustible fuel source that is pollution and often noise free. The technology is

also versatile. For example,solar cellsgenerate energy for far-out places like satellites in Earth

orbit and cabins deep in the mountains as easily as they can power downtown buildings and

futuristic cars.

But solar energy also has its disadvantages. It doesn't work at night without a storage

device such as a battery, and cloudy weather can make the technology unreliable during the day.


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Solar technologies are also very expensive and require a lot of land area to collect the sun's

energy at rates useful to lots of people.

The next energy alternative is Wind power. According to the National Geographic, wind

is a form of solar energy created by interactions between atmospheric heating, irregularities in

the earth's surface and the earth's rotation.

According to the National Geographic, the towering over the landscape, wind turbines

generate electricity by harnessing the energy of moving air. Wind is a clean energy source that is

endlessly renewable and remarkably reliable. It does not pollute the air or cause acid rain like

fossil fuels. According to the U.S. Department of Energy: Advantages and Challenges of Wind

Energy, advances in wind turbine technology and an abundance of regions with winds suitable

for producing power have made wind power the fastest-growing source of energy in the

world. Once manufacturing of the turbine system is complete, wind power generators do not

require the burning of fuel to operate and generate no emissions. Turbines are available in

multiple sizes. Smaller communities and isolated houses can benefit from wind power when

conventional energy sources, such as a coal or natural gas plants, are impractical to place nearby.

Because wind is inherently unpredictable, it's generally considered an inadequate energy

source to fulfill requirements for a constant minimum, to be the main source of power. Residents

may be bothered by turbines' noise or find them visually unappealing, and horizontal-axis

rotating blades pose an inherent threat to birds. Wind turbines also command relatively high

upfront costs. Researchers are continuing efforts to lower the cost of wind energy over time.


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References:

U.S. Department of Energy: Advantages and Challenges of Wind Energy Tillery, B. W., Enger, E. E., & Ross, F. C. (2009), SCI-110: Integrated Science: 2009

custom edition (4thed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

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