8. Energy production
8. Energy production
8.1 – Energy sources
Nature of science:
Risks and problem-solving: Since early times mankind understood the vital role of harnessing energy and large-scale production of electricity has impacted all levels of society. Processes where energy is transformed require holistic approaches that involve many areas of knowledge. Research and development of alternative energy sources has lacked support in some countries for economic and political reasons. Scientists, however, have continued to collaborate and share new technologies that can reduce our dependence on non-renewable energy sources.
Understandings:
Specific energy and energy density of fuel sources
Sankey diagrams
Primary energy sources
Electricity as a secondary and versatile form of energy
Renewable and non-renewable energy sources
Applications and skills:
Solving specific energy and energy density problems
Sketching and interpreting Sankey diagrams
Describing the basic features of fossil fuel power stations, nuclear power stations, wind generators, pumped storage hydroelectric systems and solar power cells
Solving problems relevant to energy transformations in the context of these generating systems
Discussing safety issues and risks associated with the production of nuclear power
Describing the differences between photovoltaic cells and solar heating panels
8.2 – Thermal energy transfer
Nature of science:
Simple and complex modelling: The kinetic theory of gases is a simple mathematical model that produces a good approximation of the behaviour of real gases. Scientists are also attempting to model the Earth’s climate, which is a far more complex system. Advances in data availability and the ability to include more processes in the models together with continued testing and scientific debate on the various models will improve the ability to predict climate change more accurately.
Understandings:
Conduction, convection and thermal radiation
Black-body radiation
Albedo and emissivity
The solar constant
The greenhouse effect
Energy balance in the Earth surface–atmosphere system
Applications and skills:
Sketching and interpreting graphs showing the variation of intensity with wavelength for bodies emitting thermal radiation at different temperatures
Solving problems involving the Stefan–Boltzmann law and Wien’s displacement law
Describing the effects of the Earth’s atmosphere on the mean surface temperature
Solving problems involving albedo, emissivity, solar constant and the Earth’s average temperature
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