In 4-6
by
Tanya van den Berg
Guru
(6.5k)
Resources:
Both resources and energy allow us to flourish on planet Earth. But, what exactly are resources, and why are they so important? Check out this video:
Energy:
The simplest definition of energy is "the ability to do work". Energy is how things change and move. It's everywhere around us and takes all sorts of forms. It takes energy to cook food, to drive to school, and to jump in the air. Energy consumption just means how much energy we are using each year to power our houses, factories, businesses and vehicles.
Different forms of Energy
Energy can take a number of different forms. Here are some examples:
- Chemical - Chemical energy comes from atoms and molecules and how they interact.
- Electrical - Electrical energy is generated by the movement of electrons.
- Gravitational - Large objects such as the Earth and the Sun create gravity and gravitational energy.
- Heat - Heat energy is also called thermal energy. It comes from molecules of different temperatures interacting.
- Light - Light is called radiant energy. The Earth gets a lot of its energy from the light of the Sun.
- Motion - Anything that is moving has energy. This is also called kinetic energy.
- Nuclear - Huge amounts of nuclear energy can be generated by splitting atoms.
- Potential - Potential energy is energy that is stored.
Energy is taken from two types of energy source:
- Renewable energy sources = resources that can be easily replaced or renewed (will not run out – sustainable). These include- Hydro Electric Energy, Wind Energy, Solar energy, Geothermal energy, and Biofuels
- Non-renewable energy sources= resources that can be used up and cannot be replaced (will run out). These include – Coal energy, Natural Gas energy, Oil energy, and Nuclear energy.
