motors and energy

Batteries

• must have 2 electrons and 1 electrolyte

• AC/DC

AC

electrons periodically switch directions

DC

electrons only go in one direction

metals

• allow electrons to go through

• creates electrical currents

electrical current

• moving charge

• ions can create it because they are always moving

motor

electrical → kinetic

generator

kinetic → electrical

Brushes

Regulate or reverse the motor to cause it to spin 

commutator

• spins with the armature

• ensures continuous rotation

magnet

• has north pole and south pole

• ensures continuous rotation by opposites attracting and same sides repelling

source

gives power to the motor

armature

interact with permanent magnets to continue spinning

biomass

• Organic material such as wood, crop waste, and municipal solid waste processed for energy production

• through direct combustion or conversion to fuel for combustion

biomass pros

• renewable

• reduces waste

• can be stored

biomass cons

• high production cost

• large amount of land used

• produces carbon dioxide gas

Hydro

• energy from flowing water to generate electricity

• This includes reservoir containment or run-of-river

hydro pros

• renewable

• can be stored

• does not produce carbon dioxide gas

hydro cons

• high construction cost

• large amount of land used

• habitat destroyed

wind

Wind passes through a large propellor, turning a generator to generate electricity

wind pros

• renewable

• efficient use of land

• does not produce carbon dioxide gas

wind cons

• cannot be stored

• noise pollution

• disrupts bird flight paths

fossil

Hydrocarbon-based fuel sources such as coal, natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil are combusted to heat water to steam, which turns a generator to produce electricity

fossil pros

• high energy output

• efficient use of land

fossil cons

• non- renewable

• produces carbon dioxide gas

nuclear

• A fission reaction heats water to steam, which turns a generator to produce electricity

• Produces waste that must be safely stored for thousands of years

nuclear pros

• efficient use of land

• does not produce carbon dioxide gas

nuclear cons

• non-renewable

• high construction and maintenance costs

• very toxic long-term waste

• potentially catastrophic accidents

solar

• A semi-conducting material absorbs photons and converts their energy into electricity

• does not use a generator

solar pros

• renewable

• efficient use of land

• does not produce carbon dioxide gas

solar cons

• high cost of maintenance

• intermittent (not constant)

• toxic waste upon decommissioning

renewable electricity

• energy made from a renewable source

• energy source that occurs naturally

• can be renewed in a human life span

energy conversions

• heat → electricity

• motion → electricity

• light → electricity

• electricity → light

heat → electricity

heat exchanged

motion → electricity

piezoelectric effect – compression/expansion causes potential difference across a crystal

light → electricity

• photovoltaic effect – light promotes outermost electrons in semiconductor into a higher orbit where they are more mobile

• solar cell

electricity → light

incandescence/fluorescence (CFL)/electroluminescence (LED)