Question

What are the characteristics of a good source of energy?

Answer 1

Hint: Energy is a property that can be transferred to an object from another object to perform any activities. Energy can only be converted, they can never be created or destroyed. There are many sources of energy.

Complete step-by-step answer:
The sources of energy can be classified as renewable and non-renewable energy sources. Most of the energy sources are non-renewable.
The characteristics of ideal or good source of energy are:
1. It should produce a large amount of energy per unit.
2. It must be economical and pollution-free.
3. It must be able to produce over a long period of time.
4. It must be easy to handle or carry and store.
5. It should be of low cost but high calorific value.
Some of the non-renewable energy sources are petroleum, hydrocarbon gas, natural gas, coal and nuclear energy. These are called non-renewable because only a limited amount of supplies is available. Coal, natural gas and petroleum are also called fossil fuels as they are formed by the buried remains of ancient flora and fauna. Nuclear energy can be considered to be produced from a substance called uranium. It is produced through a process called nuclear fission which involves splitting of atoms to create heat and electricity. Uranium is found in vast amounts through earth’s crust but they are too expensive to process.
Some of the renewable energy sources are solar energy, wind energy, biomass and hydropower energy. It is called renewable because it is sustainable. It is also referred to as alternative energy as these are the alternatives of non-renewable energies.

Note: Only a good source of energy can produce large amounts of energy in a short period of time. They have many applications in the industry sectors. For example, solar energy is the freely available source which is used in setting up solar power plants and generating electricity and wind energy is used in pumping water, sailing ships by constructing wind mills. The availability of sources of energy has a great impact on sustainability of life on earth.