Title
Energy
and its transformation
Unit description
In
industrialized societies such as ours, the availability of energy is fully
linked to the people’s welfare and quality of life. We are part of a generation
that needs enormous amounts of energy to live; and this has led to an excessive
reliance on non-renewable energy from sources such as gas, oil or coal, which
are increasingly scarce and emit substances that pollute the atmosphere.
This
scenario has led to the need to generate inexhaustible, cleaner energy with
less environmental impact, which can arrive equitably to all users. These are
called renewable energy.
Through
both energy sources we can obtain one of the forms of energy most used in our
society: electricity. This can easily be transformed into mechanical, thermal
or luminous energy, which have many applications and uses.
From this
perspective, this unit aims to give students a general but solid vision of the
current energy treatment. We will begin by analysing renewable and
non-renewable energy. Then, we will study nuclear energy and power stations.
Finally, we will focus on the environmental impact of energy and some ways to
promote energy conservation and the sustainability of the planet.
Theory:
- Classification of the types of energy.
- Renewable energy.
- Non-renewable energy sources.
- Nuclear energy.
- Environmental impact of electrical energy.
- Types of power stations.
- Energy savings.
- Elements of an energy bill.
LEARNING
OBJECTIVES
- Know how to classify the different types of
energy.
- Know the renewable and non-renewable energy
sources.
- Identify the main forms of renewable energy.
- Know the main forms of non-renewable energy.
- Differentiate between nuclear fission and
nuclear fusion.
- Know the different types of power stations
and how they work.
- Understand the environmental impact energy
consumption has.
- Learn how to conserve energy efficiently.
- Know the sections of an energy bill.
UNIT OUTLINE
