The Sun is Earths main source of energy. The Sun gives us both light and heat. The Sun changes hydrogen into helium through nuclear fusion. This releases huge amounts of energy. The energy travels to the Earth mostly as visible light. The energy is carried through the empty space by radiation. We can use sunlight as an energy resource, called solar energy (Figure 5.7). Solar energy has been used on a small scale for hundreds of years. Today we are using solar energy for more of our power demands. Solar power plants are being built in many locations around the world. In the United States, the southwestern deserts are well suited for solar plants. Sunlight is turned into electricity at a solar power plant. These power plants use a large group of mirrors to focus sunlight on one place. This place is called a receiver (Figure 5.8). At the receiver, a liquid such as oil or water is heated to a high temperature. The liquid transfers its heat by conduction. In conduction, energy moves between two objects that are in contact. The higher temperature object transfers heat to the lower temperature object. For example, when you heat a pot of water on a stove top, energy moves from the pot to its metal handle by conduction. At a solar power plant, the energy conducted by the heated liquid is used to make electricity. Solar energy is used to heat homes and water, and to make electricity. Scientists and engineers have many ways to get energy from the Sun (Figure 5.9). One is by using solar cells. Solar cells are devices that turn sunlight directly into electricity. Lots of solar cells make up an individual solar panel. You may have seen solar panels on roof tops. The Suns heat can also be trapped in your home by using south facing windows and good insulation. Solar energy has many benefits. It does not produce any pollution. There is plenty of it available, much more than we could possibly use. But solar energy has problems. The Sun doesnt shine at night. A special battery is needed to store extra energy during the day for use at night. The technology for most uses of solar energy is still expensive. Until solar technology becomes more affordable, most people will prefer to get their energy from other sources. Moving water has energy (Figure 5.10). That energy is used to make electricity. Hydroelectric power harnesses the energy of water moving down a stream. Hydropower is the most widely used form of renewable energy in the world. This abundant energy source provides almost one fifth of the worlds electricity. The energy of waves and tides can also be used to produce water power. At this time, wave and tidal power are rare. To harness water power, a stream must be dammed. Narrow valleys are the best for dams. While sitting in the reservoir behind the dam, the water has potential energy. Water is allowed to flow downhill into a large turbine. While flowing downhill, the water has kinetic energy. Kinetic energy makes the turbine spin. The turbine is connected to a generator, which makes electricity. Many of the suitable streams in the United States have been developed for hydroelectric power. Many streams worldwide also have hydroelectric plants. Hydropower is a major source of Californias electricity. It accounts for about 14.5 percent of the total. Most of Californias nearly 400 hydroelectric power plants are located in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Water power does not burn a fuel. So it causes less pollution than many other kinds of energy. Water power is also a renewable resource. Water keeps flowing downhill. Although we use some of the energy from this movement, we are not using up the water. Water power does have problems. A large dam stops a streams flow, which floods the land upstream. A beautiful location may be lost. People may be displaced. The dams and turbines also change the downstream environment. Fish and other living things may not be able to survive. Dams slow the release of silt. Downstream deltas retreat and beaches may be starved of sand. Seaside cities may become exposed to storms and
Output: When energy moves through material, but the material itself does not move, this is