SOURCES 0F ENERGY

Definitions:
1) Energy: capacity to do work
2) Power: the rate of doing work
3) Conventional sources of energy: those sources of energy which we have been using since a
long time .OR those which are used extensively and meet major portion of our energy
requirement.
4) Non-conventional sources of energy: the sources of energy which are not being used as
extensively as conventional sources and meet our energy requirement to a limited extent
5) Solar energy: energy obtained from the sun
6) Hydro energy: the kinetic energy of flowing water or the potential energy of water at a
height
7) Biomass: refers to the plant and animal products which are used as fuels. They are renewable
8) Wind energy: the kinetic energy of moving air
9)Tidal energy: the energy derived from the kinetic energy of rising and falling tides
10) Wave energy: the kinetic energy possessed by waves near the sea shore
11) Geothermal energy: the energy trapped in the interior of the earth in the form of heat
energy
12) Nuclear energy: the energy present in the nucleus of an atom of an element
13) Fuel: the substance which undergoes combustion to produce heat or light
14) Solar cooker: it is a device that cooks food using the heat energy from the sun
15) Solar cell: a device that converts solar energy into electricity
16) Fossil fuel: the remains of prehistoric plants and animals which were buried deep inside the
earth and subjected to high temperature and pressure
17) Bio-gas: gas produced when crop residue, vegetable waste and sewage is decomposed in
the absence of oxygen
18) Green house effect: the heating of the atmosphere due to the presence of certain gases
which have a unique property to trap heat energy of infrared radiations of the sun
19) Acid rain: is a phenomenon where the pH of rain water becomes lower then 5.6
20) Solar panel: a large number of solar cells which are combined in an arrangement
21) Semiconductor: substances with low conductivity which are between good conductors and
insulators & conduct only a small amount of current under ordinary conditions.
22) Coal gas: a mixture of combustible gases which is obtained during destructive distillation of
coal.
23) Slurry: semi-fluid mixture of cow-dung, crop residue, vegetable waste & sewage.
24) Windmill: a device that harnesses the kinetic energy of blowing wind
25) Tide: the phenomenon of rising and falling of water level in oceans
26) Nuclear fission: it is the splitting of a heavy nucleus of an element into lighter nuclei by
bombardment with low energy neutrons.
27) Nuclear fusion: it is a nuclear reaction wherein the nuclei of two or more lighter elements
combine to form a nucleus of heavy element.
Q. state any 4 characteristics of a good source of energy.
Ans. a good source of energy is the one that,
i) would do a large amount of work per unit volume or mass
ii) is easily accessible
iii) is easy to store & transport
iv) is economical
Q. we need to conserve fossil fuels. Why?
Ans. fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy & if we continue consuming these
resources at such high rates they will be exhausted.
Q. why are thermal power plants set up near coal or oil fields?
Ans. the transmission of electricity is more efficient than transporting coal or petroleum over
the same distance. Therefore……..
Q. large dams ensure storage of adequate water.
A) state two uses of this water. OR state two advantages of big dams.
Ans. i) to generate hydroelectricity.
ii) for irrigation purpose
B) when a dam is constructed on a river, state the energy transformation that is used.
Ans. potential energy → kinetic energy → electricity
Q. state any two disadvantages of big dams.
Ans. i) large areas of agricultural land and human habitation are submerged.
ii) large eco-systems are destroyed due to submerging.
iii) the submerged vegetation rots under anaerobic conditions releasing methane which is
a green house gas.
iv) it creates a problem of satisfactory rehabilitation of displaced people.
Q. charcoal is prepared from wood.
A) how is charcoal prepared from wood?
Ans. when wood is burnt in a limited supply of oxygen, water & volatile materials present in it
get removed and charcoal is left behind.
B) why is charcoal better fuel than coal or wood?
Ans. because charcoal burns without flames, is comparatively smokeless & has a higher heat
generation capacity.
Q. observe the following figure of a bio-gas plant. (Fig.14.4)
A) what is fed through ‘A’?
Ans. slurry of cow-dung and water
B) name the part labeled ‘D’?
Ans. Digester
C) state the function of ‘D’?
Ans. the bio-gas released from the bio-mass is stored in the gas tank.
D) why is biogas an excellent fuel?
Ans. i) it burns without smoke & leaves no residue like ash.
ii) it has high heating capacity
E) the slurry left behind is an excellent manure. Why?
Ans. because it is rich in nitrogen & phosphorous
Q. the major component of bio-gas is methane
Q. state the characteristics of good fuel satisfied by biogas?
Ans. i) it burns without smoke
ii) it leaves no residue like ash
iii) its heating capacity is high
Q. there are many limitations of harnessing wind energy. State 6 such limitations.
Ans. i) wind energy farms can be established only in those areas where wind blows for a greater
part of the year.
ii) the wind speed should be higher than 15 km/h to maintain the required speed of the turbine.
iii) there should be some backup facility (like storage cells) to take care of energy needs during
no winds.
iv) establishment of wind energy farms need large areas of land.
v) the initial cost of establishment of a wind farm is high.
vi) it requires high levels of maintenance.
Q. why is the inner surface of a solar cell painted black?
Ans. ………because black absorbs more heat as compared to white or a reflecting surface under
identical conditions.
Q. solar cookers are used to cook food using solar energy.
A) why are solar cookers covered with a glass plate?
Ans. …. because the glass helps in retaining the heat within the cooker. Also to ensure that dust
does not settle on the food.
B) what is the function of plane mirror in the solar cooker?
Ans. the plane mirror focuses the rays of the sun to achieve higher temperatures in the cooker.
Q. a non-metal used in making solar cells is silicon
Q. state two advantages of solar cell.
Ans. i) they have no moving parts, require little maintenance & work quite satisfactorily without
the use of any focusing device.
ii) they can be set up in remote & inaccessible hamlets or very sparsely inhabited areas.
Q. state two uses of solar cell.
Ans. i) solar cells are used for many scientific and technological applications
ii) artificial satellites and space probes use solar cells as main source of energy
iii) traffic signals, calculators & many toys are fitted with solar cells
Q. like wind, the ocean can also serve as a source of energy. The energy harnessed from the sea
can be tidal energy, wave energy or ocean thermal (OT) energy.
A) How are tides caused?
ans. due to the gravitational pull of the moon on the earth, the level of water in the sea rises &
falls. This causes tides.
B) how is electricity obtained from tidal energy?
Ans. tidal energy is harnessed by constructing a dam at the narrow opening to the sea. A
turbine fixed at the opening of the dam converts tidal energy to electricity
Q. how is OT energy used to generate electricity?
Ans. the difference in the temperature of sea water is exploited to obtain energy in OT energy
plants.
Q. there are a number of power plants based on geothermal energy operational in New Zealand
and USA.
A) what is the source of geothermal energy?
Ans. the hot steam trapped in the rocks
B) how is geothermal energy converted into electricity?
Ans. when underground water comes in contact with the hot spots, steam is generated. The
steam trapped in rocks is routed through a pipe to a turbine and used to generate electricity.
C) how are hot springs formed?
Ans. sometimes hot water from the hot spot finds outlets at the surface. Such outlets are
known as hot springs.
Q. name any two nuclear fuels.
Ans. uranium, thorium, plutonium
Q. How is nuclear energy produced?
Ans. nuclear energy is produced by the heat energy obtained during splitting of a nucleus of a
heavy element by the bombardment of low energy neutrons.
Q. an element whose nucleus can undergo fission is thorium
Q. what are the uses of nuclear energy?
Ans. i) it is used to generate electricity
ii) it is used as a weapon
iii) it is used to power submarines
Q. nuclear energy is generated during nuclear fission.
A) what is nuclear fission?
Ans. (see definitions)
B) there is a high risk of environmental pollution in nuclear power generation. Why?
Ans. i) improper nuclear waste storage & disposal result in environmental contamination
ii) there is a risk of accidental leakage of nuclear radiation
Q. state any two factors that make large scale use of nuclear energy prohibitive?
Ans. i) high cost of installation of a nuclear power plant.
ii) high risk of environmental contamination by nuclear radiation.
iii) limited availability of nuclear fuel(uranium).
Q. correlate:-
1) coal: thermal power plant :: uranium: nuclear energy
2) flowing water: kinetic energy :: water stored behind a dam: potential energy
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