EDST264

ENERGY

Ruth Lagado S00135702

Table of Contents
What is Energy

Australian Energy

Non-renewable Energy

Fossil Fuels into Energy

- The Greenhouse Effect

5
6

Solar Energy

Wind Energy

Glossary

Activities

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Hint: Keep an eye out for the thunderbolts!

They may provide help later on.

What is Energy?
Have you ever thought about how you are able to do simple tasks from turning on the
light to toasting a piece of bread to switching on your television or iPad? What makes
them work?
The answer? ENERGY!
Energy is power or the ability to work; it produces change and makes things happen.
There are two types of energy including potential(stored) and kinetic(working), as well
as two sources:
Renewable energy
Non-renewable energy

Solar and wind energy

Power stations burning coal, oil and gas

These sources are transformed into energy which generates electricity

for all your appliances.
2

Australian Energy
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Non-renewable Energy
Non-renewable energy is made from fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.
Fossil fuels are formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago in
ancient swamps and oceans. Over time, a layer of mud, rock, sand and/or water covers the dead
plants and animals, slowly decomposing them into organic materials to form fossil fuels.
Eventually the seas recede and all thats left is dry land with fossil fuels buried underneath.
Oil and natural gases are created from organisms that lived in the water and were buried under the
ocean or river sediments whereas coal is formed from the dead remains of plants like trees and
ferns.

How gas was formed

Fossil Fuels into Energy

Coal, oil and gas are burned in power stations to generate electricity used for things
like heating. You may think Great!" - energy is available whenever it is needed, but
what you might not know is that when we burn fossil fuels, the carbon found inside
of coal or gas is released into the air, which has a negative impact on the Earths
atmosphere.

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The Greenhouse Effect

The greenhouse effect is the trapping of heat from the sun in the Earths atmosphere. This
effect warms the Earth and makes it livable. There is a delicate balance of heat energy on
Earth and if this balance is disrupted the atmosphere will either warm up or cool down,
dramatically affecting our global weather conditions.
The higher the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the more heat is
trapped and the warmer the troposphere is likely to become, resulting in change to
weather patterns. This adds to the natural greenhouse effect, producing an enhanced
greenhouse effect or global warming.
Burning fossil fuels is one of the biggest contributors to global warming.

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sustainable
energy!

Sustainable energy uses renewable energy sources which have a minimal impact on our environment.
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Solar Energy
Solar Energy is a form of sustainable energy that
is created from sunlight, or heat from the sun.
The energy is used for heating water for
domestic use, space heating of buildings, drying
agricultural products, and generating electrical
energy.
There are two main types of solar energy
technologies:
- Solar thermal converts sunlight into
thermal energy (heat). The heat can then
be made into steam using steam turbines. They
are considered more efficient when used at a
larger scale.
- Solar photovoltaic (PV) converts sunlight
directly into electricity using PV cells.
This system is usually installed on rooftops,
buildings and vehicles.

Wind Energy
Another example of sustainable energy is
wind energy. Wind is the natural movement
of the air, which can be generated into
energy through wind turbines.
Wind turbines convert the force of the wind
into a torque, which is then used to propel
an electric generator to create electricity.
Wind energy power stations are also
known as wind farms. They regularly
combine the output of multiple wind
turbines through a central connection point
to the electricity grid.

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Did youAustralia has some of the worlds best wind resources along its
south-western, southern and south eastern margins.

Glossary

Agricultural: The practice of farming, including

preparing soil for the growing of crops and the
rearing of animals to provide food, wool, and
other products.
Appliances: A device or piece of equipment
designed to perform a specific task.
Carbon: a chemical element that forms coal and
that is found in all living plants and animals.
Decomposing: (With reference to a dead body
or other organic matter) make or become rotten;
cause to decay.
Electricity grid: An electrical supply distribution
network that carries electricity from a power plant
to the user.
Global warming: A gradual increase in the
overall temperature of the earths atmosphere
generally attributed to the greenhouse effect
caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide
and other pollutants.
Kinetic energy: The energy of motion.
Non-renewable energy: A source of energy that
cannot be replaced in the human lifespan.

Organic materials: Relating to living plants and

animals.
Organisms: An individual animal, plant, or singlecelled life form.
Photovoltaic: Relating to the production of
electric current at the connection of two
substances exposed to light.
Potential energy: The stored energy an object
has because of its position or state.
Renewable energy: Generated from natural
resources that can be continuously replaced.
Sediments: Matter that settles to the bottom of a
liquid; remains.
Sustainable energy: Energy that meets the
needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Torque: A force that tends to cause rotation.
Troposphere: The lowest region of the
atmosphere.
Turbine: A machine for producing continuous
power in which a wheel fitted with rotating blades,
is made to revolve by a fast-moving flow of
water, steam, gas, air, or other fluid.
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Activities
You are interested in incorporating solar PVs into your home. You are given a quote
that you could save approximately 1/5 on basic electric costs, as well as 1/3 on heating
costs. Given this information,
a) What fraction of your utility bill will you save using solar energy?
b) If your monthly utility bill is $225, how much money could you save on your bill
each month?
Fun link! Calculate your carbon footprint on
http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/people_and_the_environment/human_footprint/foot
print_calculator/
Your carbon footprint is that amount of carbon that is produced by your activities.
With the results now in, discuss the implication this may have on future generations.
You are a famous blogger who has recently become passionate about sustainable
energy. Write an article giving your opinion on the different ways we can generate
electricity.
Refer back to the pages with thunderbolts and include steps we can take to reduce our
carbon footprint. You can support your article with further research from the internet
and library books.
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A book for stage 3: Physical World;

This resource will help students focusing on
sources of energy which generate electricity.