Good Source of Energy – Advantages & Disadvantages, Characteritics

Key Concepts

• Renewable source of energy

• Non-renewable source of energy

• Good fuel

• Good source of energy

Introduction: 

Whenever a body is capable of doing work, the body is said to possess energy. Thus, energy is defined as the ability of a body to do work, and the amount of energy possessed by a body is equal to the amount of work it can do when its energy is released. 

In this session, we are going to learn about a few of the sources of energy around us and identify the clean source that can be used to harness electricity.  

Explanation: 

Sources of energy: A source of energy is that which is capable of providing enough useful energy at a steady rate over a long period of time. 

A good source of energy should be: 

1. Safe and convenient to use, e.g., nuclear energy can be used only by highly trained engineers with the help of nuclear power plants. It cannot be used for our household purpose. 

2. Easy to transport, e.g., coal, petrol, diesel, LPG, etc., have to be transported from the places of their production to the consumers. 

3. Easy to store, e.g., huge storage tanks are required to store petrol, diesel, LPG, etc. 

4. Easily accessible 

5. Economical 

6. Able to do a large amount of work per unit volume or mass. 

Characteristics of an ideal or a good fuel: 

1. It should have a high calorific or a heat value so that it can produce maximum energy by low fuel consumption. 

2. It should have a proper ignition temperature so that it can burn easily. 

3. It should not produce harmful gases during combustion. 

4. It should be cheap in cost and easily available in plenty for everyone. 

5. It should be easy and convenient to handle, store, and transport from one place to another. 

6. It should not be valuable for any other purpose than as a fuel. 

7. It should burn smoothly and should not leave much residue after its combustion. 

Classification of sources of energy: 

The sources of energy can be classified as follows: 

1. Renewable 

2. Non-Renewable. 

1. Renewable sources of energy:- Renewable sources of energy are those which are inexhaustible, i.e., which can be replaced as we use them and can be used to produce energy again and again. 

These are available in an unlimited amount in nature and replenished within a relatively short period of time. 

Examples of renewable sources of energy 

1. Solar energy  

2. Wind Energy  

3. Water energy (hydro-energy),  

4. Geothermal energy 

5. Ocean energy  

6. Biomass energy (firewood, animal dung, and biodegradable waste from cities and crop residues constitute biomass) 

Advantages of renewable sources of energy: 

1. These sources will last as long as the Earth receives light from the sun. 

2. These sources are freely available in nature. 

3. These sources do not cause any pollution. 

2. Non-renewable sources of energy: 

Non-renewable sources of energy are those which are exhaustible and cannot be replaced once they have been used. 

These sources have been accumulated in nature over a very long period of millions of years. 

Examples of non-renewable sources of energy: 

1. Coal  

2. Oil  

3. Natural gas 

All these fuels are called fossil fuels. 

Disadvantages of non-renewable sources of energy: 

1. Due to their extensive use, these sources are fast depleting. 

2. It is difficult to discover and exploit new deposits of these sources. 

3. These sources are a major cause of environmental pollution. 

Questions and answers 

Question 1: Give examples of renewable and non-renewable sources of energy. 

Answer: 

Question 2: List the difference between renewable and non-renewable sources of energy.  

Answer:

Summary

• Energy is defined as the ability of a body to do work.
• A source of energy is that which can provide enough useful energy at a steady rate over a long period of time.
• A good source of energy should

i. Safe and convenient to use,

ii. Easy to transport.

iii. Easy to store.

iv. Easily accessible.

v. Economical

vi. Able to do a large amount of work per unit volume or mass.

• A good fuel would be one

i. has a very high calorific value.

ii. does not produce a lot of smoke on burning.

iii. has easy availability.

iv. is cheap

v. has ignition temperature will above normal temperature.