Understanding Energy and Its Impact

What is Energy?

• Energy is the ability to do work
• Energy is essential for all life on Earth
• We use energy to power our homes, businesses, and transportation
• Types of energy include kinetic, potential, electrical, chemical, nuclear, and radiant energy

Essential Energy

• We use energy to power our homes, businesses, and transportation
• Energy is also used to produce goods, manufacture products, and provide services
• Energy is essential for our modern way of life

Reliance on Energy vs. Environmental Impact

• Our reliance on energy harms the environment.
• Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
• To meet our energy needs, we need to find ways to reduce our energy consumption and use renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power.

Fuel Cells and Batteries

• A fuel cell is created when a reaction between a fuel and oxygen produces a potential difference.
• Oxidation occurs with the fuel in the cell, however, the reaction is electrochemical, unlike combustion.
• When the fuel cell is a part of a complete circuit, the potential difference causes current to flow, which can be used to power an electric motor.

Fuel Cells vs. Batteries

• Fuel cells have a constant potential difference while working
• Fuel cells last a long time because they have large fuel reserves
• Fuel cells cannot be recharged
• Fuel cells are expensive
• Batteries have a potential difference that gradually decreases over time with use.
• Batteries have small reserves of chemicals and need to be recharged or disposed of
• Batteries can be recharged or disposable.
• Batteries are cheap

Hydrogen - Oxygen Fuel Cell

• At the anode (negative electrode), hydrogen is oxidized to hydrogen ions and electrons.

Equilibrium Constant

• Under standard-state conditions, the equilibrium constant determines the favored reaction
• Negative: Formation of products only
• Neutral: Both reactants and products
• Positive: Formation of reactants only

Understanding Nuclear Fission

• Fission is the process of splitting a heavy atomic nucleus (such as uranium) into smaller, more stable constituent element by-products and neutrons, releasing high amounts of energy due to the product’s instability
• Formula: XZA + 10𝑛 → 𝑋𝑍B + 𝑋𝑍𝐶 + 𝑥 10𝑛 + γ

Where:

• A = Parent nucleus
• B & C = constituent element nuclei formed after fission
• 10𝑛 = neutron
• x = numerical coefficient of neutrons
• γ = energy

Example of Nuclear Fission

• 23592U + 10𝑛 → 9038Sr + 54𝑋𝑒 + 3 10𝑛 + γ

Nuclear Fission & Constituent Elements

• Nuclear fission may form any constituent elements during the process if the products have the same values as the original materials.

Uranium Fission

• Uranium typically releases three (3) neutrons during fission per nucleus
• o 𝑈 − 233 yields three (3) neutrons
• o 𝑈 − 235 yields two (2) to three (3) neutrons
• o 𝑈 − 238 yields three (3) neutrons

Plutonium Fission

• Plutonium releases three (3) neutrons during fission per nucleus.
• All of Plutonium’s isotopes (i.e.𝑃𝑡 − 238, 𝑃𝑡 − 239, 𝑃𝑡 − 240, 𝑃𝑡 − 241, 𝑃𝑡 − 242) yield three (3) neutrons.

Thorium Fission

• 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑢𝑚 − 232 releases two (2) neutrons during fission per nucleus.

Green Energy

• Green sources often avoid mining or drilling operations that can be damaging to ecosystems.

Types of Green Energy

• Solar Power
• Wind Power
• Hydropower
• Geothermal Energy
• Biomass
• Biofuels

Solar Power

• Solar power is usually produced using photovoltaic cells that capture sunlight and turn it into electricity.
• Solar power is used to heat buildings, hot water, cooking, and lighting.
• Solar power is now affordable enough for domestic purposes

Wind Power

• Wind energy uses the power of air flow to push turbines that generate electricity.
• Particularly suited to offshore and higher altitude sites.

Hydropower

• Hydropower uses the flow of water in rivers, streams, dams, or elsewhere to produce electricity.
• Hydropower can work on a small scale using water flow through pipes in the home or can come from evaporation, rainfall, or the ocean's tides

Geothermal Energy

• Geothermal energy uses thermal energy stored just under the earth’s crust.
• requires drilling to access, which can have environmental impacts.
• Geothermal energy has been used for bathing in hot springs for thousands of years.
• Used for steam to turn turbines and generate electricity.

Biomass

• Biomass power plants use wood waste, sawdust, and combustible organic agricultural waste to create energy.
• Burning these materials releases greenhouse gases, but the emissions are much lower than those from petroleum-based fuels

Biofuels

• Biofuels are produced from organic materials and can be transformed into fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.

Green Energy Solutions

• Green energy solutions are being used in buildings from large office blocks to people’s homes.
• These include solar water heaters, biomass-fuelled boilers, direct geothermal heat, and cooling systems powered by renewable sources.
• Renewable heat for industrial processes using biomass or renewable electricity is on the rise.
• Hydrogen is a large provider of renewable energy for the cement, iron, steel, and chemical industries.
• Sustainable biofuels and renewable electricity are growing use for transportation across multiple industry sectors, including automotive, aerospace, and construction.

This quiz explores the concept of energy, its various forms, and its essential role in powering our modern lives. It also discusses the environmental implications of our energy reliance, including the effects of fossil fuel consumption and the importance of renewable energy sources. Test your knowledge on fuel cells, batteries, and more!