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Electricity: A Form Of Energy Term Paper

There is a continual release of more neutrons every time a Uranium nucleus is split. The more the neutrons are released, the more the splits in the already split Uranium nuclei. The resultant chain reaction generates a lot of heat in the process. This heat is used to heat water whose vapor moves the turbines and produces electricity as a result. Nuclear fission power plants use the generated heat by a nuclear fission process to move steam turbine which generates electricity. When a nuclear fuel atom (Uranium) absorbs a neutron, the Uranium will fission into two smaller atoms (waste) releasing one to three neutrons. Kinetic energy of the waste is used to heat the water for the turbine. The process continues as the neutrons are used to fission the next lot of Uranium atoms ("How Nuclear Fission" par, 2).

Wind:

When wind energy is converted into electrical energy, electricity is produced. "Wind mills and wind turbines are used to churn up enormous amounts of wind energy which is then converted into electrical energy" (Diva par, 6). Recent advancements in wind energy shows that it's helping create portable cell phone chargers.

Bio-waste:

Electricity is now being produced through bio-waste also. In rural areas, bio-gas is a typical way of producing in countries like India. In a state in India, electricity is generated through the use of human waste.

Types of Electricity:

The two major types of electricity are Static Electricity and Current Electricity.

Static Electricity:

This occurs when electrical charges build up on the surface of a material. It is usually caused by rubbing together two or more objects and making friction. The result of the build-up is that objects may be attracted to each other or may even cause a spark to jump from one to the other. For example, when you rub a balloon with the wool sweater and hold it up to the wall, electrons are transferred from the wool to the rubber because of differences in the attraction of the two materials for electrons. Before rubbing, the balloon and the wool sweater have a neutral charge (Types of Electricity par, 3). By gaining electrons from the wool, the balloon becomes negatively charged while the wool becomes positively charged because it loses electrons.

Current Electricity:

Current, which is the rate of flow of electrons, is produced by moving electrons and it is measured in amperes. For current electricity to flow, it needs a conductor, which is usually made of copper wire. Just like the current of a river, so is current with electricity. The river flows from one spot to another moving with the speed of the current. The amount of energy transferred over a period of time is the means through which current is measured. This energy is known as a flow of electrons.

Different sources of current electricity exist including the chemical reactions taking place in a battery. The most common source of current electricity is the generator. A simple generator...

In a power plant, electromagnets spinning inside many coils of copper wire generate enormous quantities of current electricity.
Methods for saving Electricity:

There are several ways of saving electricity. No matter how little we save, it better than nothing! This includes:

Turning off the lights when someone leaves the room:

Though it seems obvious, many people do forget often times. Installation of a motion sensor to turn the light on when someone comes home will help save money and electricity in the long run.

Turning off devices that are not in use:

Many of the domestic electrical devices don't need to be left on 24/7. Turning off the devices that are not in use conserves electricity.

Lowering water heater temperature:

One can save energy by lowering the temperature of your water heater. Mostly, the heater runs to maintain a tankful of water at a minimal temperature. This temperature is much higher than one's consumption.

Timing the electric water heater:

Installing a timer on the electric water heater is one of the best ways to save big bucks on the electric bill. By taking care of the simple methods such as adding extra insulation to the tank and lowering the water heater temperature, the electricity bill reduces. There is no need in running the heater when no one is at home.

Using electricity on off-peak time:

The cost of electricity is half during off peak times. In the United States, off-peak time is usually between 21:30-7:00 every day (Sabrina par, 12).

Works Cited:

Beaty, William J. "What Is "Electricity"?" MISCON. MISCON, 1996. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. .

Bellis, Mary. "Electricity - Electronics." About.com. About.com. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. .

"Coal Fired Power Generation." IEGC:International Energy Coal Generation Facilities. International Electric Coal Generation. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. .

Diva, Green. "The Different Methods of Electricity Production." GOARTICLES.com:the Web's Largest Free Content Article Directory. Jayde Online, Inc., 29 June 2009. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. .

"Electricity." W. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. .

"Generating Electrons." National Museum of American History. National Museum of American History. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. .

"How Nuclear Fission Power Plants Work." Nuclearinfo.net Everything You Want to Know about Nuclear Power. Nuclearinfo.net. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. .

Sabrina. "Methods for Saving Electricity." Streetdirectory.com. Streetdirectory. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. .

Types of Electricity." The Electricity Forum. The Electricity Forum. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. .

United States. U.S. Department of the Interior. U.S. Geological Survey. Hydroelectric Power: How it Works. By Howard Perlman. USGS:Science for a Changing World, 6 Oct. 2009. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. .

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited:

Beaty, William J. "What Is "Electricity"?" MISCON. MISCON, 1996. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. <http://amasci.com/miscon/whatis.html>.

Bellis, Mary. "Electricity - Electronics." About.com. About.com. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. <http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blelectric.htm>.

"Coal Fired Power Generation." IEGC:International Energy Coal Generation Facilities. International Electric Coal Generation. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. .

Diva, Green. "The Different Methods of Electricity Production." GOARTICLES.com:the Web's Largest Free Content Article Directory. Jayde Online, Inc., 29 June 2009. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. <http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=1724109>.
"Electricity." W. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. <http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity?wasRedirected=true>.
"Generating Electrons." National Museum of American History. National Museum of American History. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. <http://americanhistory.si.edu/powering/generate/gnmain.htm>.
"How Nuclear Fission Power Plants Work." Nuclearinfo.net Everything You Want to Know about Nuclear Power. Nuclearinfo.net. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. <http://nuclearinfo.net/Nuclearpower/HowPowerPlantsWork>.
Sabrina. "Methods for Saving Electricity." Streetdirectory.com. Streetdirectory. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. <http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/60729/home_improvement/methods_for_saving_electricity.html>.
Types of Electricity." The Electricity Forum. The Electricity Forum. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. <http://www.electricityforum.com/types-electricity.html>.
United States. U.S. Department of the Interior. U.S. Geological Survey. Hydroelectric Power: How it Works. By Howard Perlman. USGS:Science for a Changing World, 6 Oct. 2009. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. <http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/hyhowworks.html>.
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