Chemistry for Engineers: Energy, Fuels, and Renewable Energies

Vocabulary and key concepts from the lecture on energy definitions, forms of kinetic and potential energy, units of measurement, and the classification of renewable and non-renewable energy sources.

Energy

A measurement of the ability of something to do work.

Law of Conservation of Energy

States that energy cannot be created nor destroyed, it is just transferred from one form to another.

Potential Energy

Energy associated with an object because of its position or structure.

Kinetic Energy

Energy associated with an object’s motion.

Chemical Energy

A form of potential energy stored in the bonds of atoms and molecules.

Nuclear Energy

A form of potential energy stored in the nucleus of atoms, released through fusion (combining nuclei) or fission (splitting nuclei).

Gravitational Energy

A form of potential energy an object has because of its position or height.

Elastic Energy

Potential energy stored in elastic objects as a result of applying a force to deform it, such as a rubber band.

Mechanical Energy

A form of kinetic energy possessed by an object when it moves or rotates, similar to how a machine works.

Electrical Energy

A form of kinetic energy resulting from the flow of electric charge or the movement of electrons.

Thermal Energy

A form of kinetic energy created from the vibration of atoms and molecules within a substance.

Radiant Energy

Energy that travels in transverse waves, including energy from the sun, x-rays, and radio waves.

Calorie (cal)

The heat required to raise the temperature of $1.00\,g$ of $H_2O$ by $1.0^{\circ}C$. Note: $1000\,cal = 1\,kilocalorie = 1\,kcal$.

Joule ($J$)

A unit of energy where $1\,cal = 4.184\,joules$ and $1\,J = 1\,kg\cdot m^2/s^2$.

British Thermal Unit (BTU)

A unit of energy equivalent to $1055\,joules$ or $252\,calories$.

Primary Sources

Energy sources that can be used directly as they appear in the natural environment, such as biomass, solar radiation, or fossil fuels.

Biomass

Waste material from plants and animals that is not used for consumption.

Animate Energy

Energy delivered by human beings and animals by doing work, such as extracting sugar cane juice using carabao power.

Secondary Sources

Energy sources derived from the transformation of primary energy sources.

Nonrenewable Sources

Energy sources available in limited supplies that take millions of years to develop/replenish, such as coal, nuclear, oil, and natural gas.

Renewable Sources

Sources that replenish naturally, restore themselves over short periods of time, and do not diminish, such as solar, wind, and hydro.

Solar Energy

The cleanest and most abundant renewable energy source, converted from the sun into thermal or electrical energy.

Photovoltaics

A method of harnessing solar energy to generate electricity directly from sunlight via an electronic process.

Solar Heating and Cooling

The use of solar heat to heat machines or assemblies such as cookers and heaters.

Concentrated Solar Panel (CSP)

Uses the heat generated by the sun to run traditional electricity-generating turbines.

Wind Energy

Energy derived by converting the motion of air into mechanical energy.

Hydropower

The conversion of energy from flowing water into electricity, also known as hydroelectricity.

Dam Hydropower

Utilizes the potential energy from dammed water to produce electricity.

Run of River Hydropower

Relies on natural water flow rates of rivers to power turbines and generators.

Geothermal Energy

Energy produced from the internal heat of the earth, generated from radioactive decay of minerals and heat loss from the earth's formation.

Bioenergy

Energy produced from organic matter.

Feedstock

The specific type of organic material used to produce bioenergy.

Fossil Fuel Deposits

Highly combustible materials formed from organic matter, typically plants, that have decomposed and compressed over time.

Oil

The world’s primary fuel source for transportation, extracted from underground reservoirs, shale, or tar sands and processed in refineries.

Natural Gas

A fossil energy source consisting primarily of methane and ethane, commonly used for home heating and cooking.

Coal

A solid, rock-like fossil fuel created by compressed organic matter and obtained via mining.