Energy Sources Explained Part 01: Energy Units
Energy Units
To fully understand energy it is important to understand how it is measured. We often hear terms for energy measurements thrown around but a few of us actually grasp what they mean. Let me help you understand the basics.
The basic idea
Energy is the capacity to do work and is equal to force times distance in other words it is the force exerted or required over a distance. So it looks like this: Energy=Work=Force x Distance
Measuring
Work is measured in Joules (J) and therefore this is one of the main measurement units for energy. A J is a metric unit equal to a Newton meter or the amount of work done when a force of a Newton is moved by one meter. So it looks like this: 1N x 1m=1J. Work also be measured in British thermal units (BTUs) and Calories depending on preferences and where in the world are you. BTUs is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one pound of water by 1 degree Fahrenheit. A Calorie is the amount of energy needed to raise one gram of water by 1 degree Celsius. Both at normal atmospheric pressure.
Power and Energy
Power and energy are not the same thing although the terms sometimes are used interchangeably. Power is the rate at which energy is consumed and produced and is equal to energy over time. Looks like this: Power=Energy/Time. In metric system power is measured in watts (W) which is equal to one Joule(J) per Second (s). Looks like this: W=J/s. For example horse power which is also a measure of power is equal to 745.7W.
Consumption Explaining
A Watt hour is the energy consumed by a 1 watt device operating for 1 hour. Watt hours represent a quantity of energy and this is the unit we see in our power bills. So watt hours are the equal of the amount of energy we use after a certain amount of time.
Energy system
To put this in the context of an energy, when you hear someone mention a 100MW(megawatt) facility, they are saying that it produces power at a rate of 100 million watts per second. On your power bill when you see 100 kilowatt hours, it is saying you consumed the amount of energy equivalent to 100 thousand watts for one hour.
I hope i was able to give you basic understanding about energy and power and how they are measured.
You can find more articles of mine here: https://steemit.com/@diasdr
Electricity generation can have bad impact on the earth due to the consumption of natural resources.
You have nicely explained the various units.
Steem on!
Thank you, i am glad u find it useful.
A well written primer on energy, setting the stage for what looks to be a very interesting series on energy. We look forward to your future posts in this series of work. Great job and thank you for educating us all here at steemit.
As a bonus, and in addition to resteeming for exposure, we are awarding you a small 10 Steem Power deposit as a thank you for creating quality STEM related postings on Steemit. We hope you will continue to educate us all!
Thanks for the donation and support i ll do my best.
Interesting basics. Now let's talk about green energy sources, shall we? :-)
Well i am going to explain all energy sources one by one, next is coal and after that wind energy and next solar. i ll base my articles mostly to my experience from work as i begin these series and i ll write about forms of energy that i havent worked with later. You know it needs more research.
Way to work in a little humor with the science (I need that).
So i just need to get you some more :P patience i ll work something out :)
Great to know! Thanks for the post.
Thanks for the great primer on what energy is and the language we use to talk about it. I work with a lot of people who are interested in going off grid, but aren't sure where to begin- I'll be pointing them in your direction from now on!
I am Glad you find it usefull