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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 specific examples 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 they work, 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 with photovoltaic 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 cells generate 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/