Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy, Work, and Power

Vocabulary flashcards covering renewable and non-renewable energy sources, forms of potential and kinetic energy, the law of conservation of energy, and the physics of work and power.

Energy

The ability to do work; found in many different forms such as heat, light, and electricity, and used to power homes, businesses, and transportation.

Renewable Energy

Energy that comes from natural resources that are naturally replenished, such as sunlight, wind, and waves.

Solar Energy

Energy from the sun that can provide heat energy and is converted into electricity using solar panels.

Wind Energy

One of the most abundant renewable energy sources on Earth, where wind turns the blades of turbines connected to a generator to create power.

Geothermal Energy

Heat energy from under the Earth's surface, collected from hot water or hot magma deep in the crust and converted into usable power in power plants.

Hydropower Energy

One of the oldest renewable energy sources, generated from moving water, such as water flowing down fast rivers to spin turbines in dams or the movement of waves.

Biomass Energy

Energy obtained by burning natural waste materials such as scrap wood, dead trees, and unused parts of crops to create biofuels and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Non-Renewable Energy

Energy derived from natural resources that are not naturally replenished, such as coal, oil, and natural gas.

Nuclear Energy

Energy generated in power stations using mined uranium as fuel; it is non-renewable but generates energy cleanly without producing much waste.

Coal Energy

Energy produced by mining coal from underground and burning it in large power stations, which releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Oil Energy

A non-renewable resource pumped from deep underground, burned in power stations for electricity, and refined into fuel for cars.

Natural Gas Energy

A clean-generating fuel pumped from deep underground into homes for cooking and heating water in boilers without producing much waste.

Potential Energy

Stored energy based on an object's position or condition.

Kinetic Energy

The energy of motion possessed by moving objects or particles.

Gravitational Potential Energy

The stored energy possessed by an object at a height or at rest above the ground, such as a rock resting on a hill.

Elastic Potential Energy

The energy stored in an elastic object when it is stretched or compressed, such as a spring or a stretched rubber band.

Chemical Potential Energy

Energy stored within food, fuels, or batteries that can be released through chemical reactions to produce heat and light.

Thermal Energy

A form of kinetic energy resulting from the internal movements of particles producing heat.

Sound Energy

Energy produced by vibrations traveling through the air or other materials.

Electrical Energy

Energy resulting from the flow of electric current, seen in lightning and electrical circuits.

Radiant (Light) Energy

Energy that travels in waves, emitted by sources such as the sun and light bulbs.

Law of Conservation of Energy

A fundamental scientific principle stating that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed from one form to another.

Work

The transfer of energy that occurs when an applied force causes an object to move in the direction of that force.

Work Formula

$W = F \times d$, where $W$ represents work in Joules ($\text{J}$), $F$ represents force in Newtons ($\text{N}$), and $d$ represents distance in meters ($\text{m}$).

Conditions for Zero Work

Situations where work equals zero because the applied force is perpendicular to the motion or because there is no movement despite applying force.

Power

The rate of doing work or the rate at which energy is transferred over time.

Power Formula

$P = \frac{W}{t}$, where $P$ is power in Watts ($\text{W}$), $W$ is work in Joules ($\text{J}$), and $t$ is time in seconds ($\text{s}$).