Energy and Power
- Man has needed and used energy at an increasing rate for his sustenance since he came on carth.
- The needs of energy of primitive man were limited in the form of food which he derived by eating plants and animals. But, after the industrial revolution with the discovery of steam engine in 1700 AD, the man started using coal in large quantities.
- In 1870 AD, with the invention of I.C. engines, the man started using other non-renewable sources of energy like oil and natural gas.
- Another form of energy called Nuclear energy was developed after the world war II and the nuclear power stations were commissioned about 5 decades ago.
- Today the world over is using various sources of energy for economic development of their country. Even the further sustainable economic growth and our future existence will even more be dependable on this energy.
- In everyday life, energy is needed in one form or the other to produce the motion of particles or objects. Thus, the energy can be defined as its capability to produce motion.
- In general, the energy is needed to produce the force or work, change in shape or the form of object etc.
- The study of various forms of energy and its conversion from one form to another is called energy science.
- The applied part of energy science useful to human beings is called the energy technology. Energy exists in various forms e.g. thermal, mechanical, chemical, electrical etc.
- One form of energy can be converted into another by suitable arrangements.
- Out of all these forms, electrical form of energy is easy to produce, easy to transport, easy to use and easy to control and easy to distribute for its terminal use. Rate of doing the work is defined as power.