Introduction

During any process, why is some energy converted into a form that is not useful?



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All devices and machines are designed to convert one form of energy into another form in order to accomplish a specific task. No machine can convert all of one form of energy into the targeted form of energy, there will always be energy converted into forms that were not planned or not wanted. We as humans also waste a fair amount of energy in our day-to-day lives.

In this lesson you will look at the concepts of “useful” and “wasted” energy in energy transformations.

  Targets

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to

  • describe how the first and second laws of thermodynamics have changed our understanding of energy conversions
  • define “useful” energy from a technological perspective and analyze the stages of “useful” energy transformations in technological systems
  • recognize that there are limits to the amount of “useful” energy that can be derived from the conversion of potential energy to other forms in a technological device

  Watch This

The Surprising Places We Waste Energy © YouTube It’s Okay To Be Smart  


This video provides you with a great overview of the many ways that we waste energy. It also goes through possible solutions of how to decrease the amount of energy that we are wasting. This will help get you in the right mindset for this lesson.