ENERGY, WORK & POWER

ENERGY
Energy is the ability or capacity to do work. The SI unit of energy is the Joule (J). Energy exists
in various forms. These include
(a) Kinetic energy (Ke)
Energy found in moving objects
(b) Heat Energy (He)
Kinetic energy of particles in matter.
(c) Potential energy
The energy an object has because of the height it has been moved, its chemical
composition or because of its shape/size. Forms of potential energy include
(i) Gravitational Potential energy (GPe). The energy an object has because of the
height it has been moved.
(ii) Chemical Potential energy (CPe). The energy an object has because of its
chemical composition.
(iii) Mechanical Potential energy (MPe). The energy an object has because of its
shape/size.
(d) Light energy (Le)
The energy given off by luminous and non luminous objects
(e) Electrical energy (Ee)
Energy transported by electric charges in conductors.
(f) Sound energy (Se)
Energy found in vibrating objects.

Principle of Energy Conservation

It states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but can only change from one form to
another during an energy conversion.

Efficiency
The quality of a system to convert one form of energy to another without wastage. During energy
conversions, some of the energy is lost (i.e it is not changed into a useful form), heat energy
accounts for most of the energy lost. Therefore, energy conversions are never 100% efficient.

Energy conversions
1. A person speaking into a microphone.
Sound energy → Electrical energy
2. Listening to a loud speaker.
Electrical energy → Sound energy.
3. Hydroelectric Power Station.
Gravitational Potential Energy → Kinetic Energy → Electrical energy
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Sources Of Energy
Sources of energy can be divided into two groups.

Renewable Sources Of Energy are those sources which can be replaced once used and are
generally non polluting.

Non-Renewable Sources Of Energy are those sources that cannot be replaced once used and are
generally polluting.

Major sources of energy in Botswana

Energy Source Use advantages Disadvantages
1) Solar Energy Botswana enjoys a lot of Abundant  Expensive equipment (solar
(Renewable) sunshine throughout the  Cheap panels and batteries for
year. Solar water heaters Environmental friendly storage)
are used in some (clean source – no  No sunshine during cloud
households. Photovoltaic pollution) cover. (not reliable during
power can be generated  renewable winter months)
from solar panels fitted
with solar cells
2) Coal Used for generating  Abundant (available in Air pollution
(non renewable) electricity as well as large quantities)  Coal mining scars the
heating and cooking  Cheap landscape
 Releases CO2 which causes
global warming
Biomass Widely used for cooking Abundant  collection of fire wood leads to
(Firewood, cow and heating.  Cheap deforestation
dung, charcoal,  Release carbon dioxide leading
food) to global warming.
(Renewable)
Wind Due to the flat terrain,  Cheap  No wind at times
(Renewable) there is not much wind in Environmental friendly
Botswana. Windmills are
used to pump water out
of boreholes

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Sources of energy in other countries

Energy Source Use Advantages Disadvantages

Nuclear power Used for generating electricity
 Little fuel is needed to produce High building costs
(non renewable) a lot of electricity.(Only 7 kg of Expensive equipment
uranium fuel are needed to
produce 60 000 W of electricity
 Expensive maintenance
per month)  Puts living things at risk of radioactive
 Does not release toxic gases into emissions due to the possibility of nuclear
meltdown.
the atmosphere.
 Requires expert skills.
 Waste products pose storage problems and can
be used to make atomic weapons.
Hydroelectric Water is collected/stored  Does not cause much pollution Limited number of suitable sites to build the
power behind huge dams on high dam.
(renewable) ground such as mountains.
The water is released through
 High building costs
sluices and its GPe is changed  The reservoir floods huge valleys which drowns
to Ke which to drive turbines animal and kills plants thus impacting on bio-
for generating electricity. diversity.
 Huge numbers of people have to be relocated in
order to accommodate the reservoir.
 Water loses its quality due to hydroelectric
processes.
 The weight of the water in the reservoir causes
seismic activity.
 Requires expert skills
Crude oil & Used for generating  Abundant  Their combustion releases greenhouse gases
natural gas electricity, fuel for motor into the atmosphere which leads to global
(non renewable) vehicles and industrial
 Cheap
warming.
machines.
 Causes water pollution
 Accidents during their mining and
transportation causes’ water and air pollution.
Geothermal Heat energy from radioactive Cheap  Not available in many locations.
energy reactions in the earth’s core
( renewable) escapes to the surface through
 Does not cause much pollution High cost of drilling deep into the earth.
vents on the crust in the form Does not require much  Requires expert skills.
of steam. This energy can be structural development.
tapped and used for generating
electricity and heating homes.
Bio fuels These are alcohol based fuels Environmentally friendly as  Farming large amounts of crops is expensive
(renewable) produced from biomass waste products can be used to  Converting the bio mass to bio fuels is
through fermentation, energy. expensive.
pyrolisis and anaerobic
digestion. They are used for
 If fermentation and pyrolisis are Food plants are used to process biofuels and this
used there is little or no CO2 could lead to food shortages and/or increase in
generating electricity and fuel
released into atmosphere. food prices.
for motor vehicles.
 abundant  Pyrolisis is requires huge amounts of heat.
 Direct combustion could lead to air pollution.

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Socio-Economic and Environmental Impacts of using energy sources

As shown in the table above the use of most energies sources has several disadvantages. Before
any energy source is used it is important to determine its socio-economic and environmental
impacts. As such there is need for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study to be
carried out before any energy source is utilized

Conservation of energy
Energy which takes a form which is not useful at a particular time is said to have been wasted or
lost. Preventing this from happening is called energy conservation. This is achieved through
diligent use of available energy sources.

Mechanical Energies
These are energies associated with the position and motion of an object. Mechanical energy of a
system is the sum of the gravitational potential energy and the kinetic energy of the system.

Kinetic Energy
The kinetic energy of a body of mass m, travelling with a velocity v, is given by

Gravitational Potential Energy

The gravitational potential energy of a body of mass m, which is moved through a height h, is
given by

GPe – Ke Transformations
Gain in GPe = Loss in Ke
Loss in GPe = Gain in Ke
∆ GPe = ∆ Ke

Classwork
1. A 5 kg rocket has 500J of kinetic energy. Find the velocity of the rocket.
2. A 100g steel ball is 1.8m above the floor. What is the amount of gravitational potential
energy possessed by the ball?
3. A 200 g ball is shot vertically upwards to a height of 80 metres.
Calculate
(i) Kinetic energy of the ball as it left the ground.
(ii) The velocity with which it leaves the ground
(iii) Time taken to reach the height
4. A 2 kg stone is dropped from a tower and reaches the ground after 2 seconds. Calcultate

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the GPe of the stone before it is dropped.

5. A lamp is 60% efficient, if the lamp gives out 400J of light energy.
(i) How much electrical energy was it supplied with?
(ii) How much energy was wasted as heat.
WORK
Work is the transfer of energy. It is measured as a product of the force applied and the distance
moved.

Work done = applied force x distance moved

POWER
This is the rate at which work is done or the rate at which energy is transferred.

Classwork
6. A boy whose weight is 600 N runs up a flight of stairs 10m high in 12 seconds. Calculate
the power he develops in climbing the stairs.

7. A donkey pulls a cart with a force of 400N and takes 10 seconds to cover a distance of
100m. What is the power developed by the donkey in pulling the cart?

8. How long does it take an electric motor rated 800 W to complete 4kJ of work in lifting a
load.

9. A machine changes 5 kJ of electrical energy into kinetic energy in half a minute. What is
the power rating of the machine?

10. A hydroelectric dam generates 10 000 W of electricity every 2 minutes. To achieve this
3 000 kg of water falls down the dam to the turbines every 2 minutes.
If the height of the dam is 60 m, calculate
(i) amount of energy in the water as it reaches the turbines.
(ii) amount of electrical energy generated by the dam.
(iii) efficiency of the power station.
(iv) the fate of the ‘lost’ energy.

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Physics Notes: Energy, Work and Power leemok productions 2011©