Scribd
Upload
20 views

School of The Nations 4S Physics - Block 1 - General Physics Energy Efficiency

The document discusses energy efficiency and defines it as the ratio of useful energy output to total energy input. It provides an example where a hydraulic system lifting a car has 70% efficiency, meaning it converts 70% of the total 12kJ input into the useful 8.4kJ output of gravitational potential energy gain. Another example calculates that a 90% efficient baseball pitching machine must have put in 43.79J of total energy input to produce the 39.41J useful kinetic energy output of the launched baseball.

Uploaded by

alex
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
20 views

School of The Nations 4S Physics - Block 1 - General Physics Energy Efficiency

The document discusses energy efficiency and defines it as the ratio of useful energy output to total energy input. It provides an example where a hydraulic system lifting a car has 70% efficiency, meaning it converts 70% of the total 12kJ input into the useful 8.4kJ output of gravitational potential energy gain. Another example calculates that a 90% efficient baseball pitching machine must have put in 43.79J of total energy input to produce the 39.41J useful kinetic energy output of the launched baseball.

Uploaded by

alex
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

SCHOOL OF THE NATIONS

4S PHYSICS

-----------------------------------------------
BLOCK 1 – GENERAL PHYSICS
ENERGY EFFICIENCY (chp 6 pg 85)

Objective

1. To define and calculate efficiency

When we pay our light bill to GPL, we are paying for how much kilowatt hours (just another unit
of energy 1 kWh = 3,600,000 J) of energy we use. What you probably don’t know is that we don’t
use all of the energy we pay for! In some light bulbs in fact, more energy is wasted as heat than
what is used produce light energy. The idea of useful output compared to total input is the basis
of energy efficiency.

WHAT IS EFFICIENCY (pg 85)

Efficiency is a measure of how useful a system is. It is calculated as: -

𝐸𝑂
𝑒𝑓𝑓 = × 100%
𝐸𝐼

Where ‘EO’ is USEFUL energy output and ‘EI’ is TOTAL energy input.

Efficiency can also be calculated in terms of power (since power is simply energy per time……….
to be discussed later)

𝑃𝑂
𝑒𝑓𝑓 = × 100%
𝑃𝐼

Where ‘PO’ is USEFUL power output and ‘PI’ is TOTAL power input.
Example problem

A hydraulic system is used to lift large loads at a workshop. A force at one of the hydraulic system
supplies 12kJ to lift a car of mass 1400kg at the other end. If the car is elevated through a distance
of 0.6m, calculate how much energy if any, is wasted and the efficiency of the hydraulic system.

Total energy input is given but we have to calculate, useful energy output. Since the hydraulic
system is used to lift the car, we can safely say that the useful energy output will be in the form
of gravitational potential energy.

Calculating the useful energy output.......

𝐸𝑂 = 𝑚𝑔ℎ

𝐸𝑂 = 1400𝑘𝑔 × 10𝑁/𝑘𝑔 × 0.6 = 8400𝐽 𝑜𝑟 8.4𝑘𝐽

To calculate how much energy is wasted we can simply subtract……..

𝐸𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑡 = 𝐸𝐼 − 𝐸𝑂

𝐸𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑡 = 12𝑘𝐽 − 8.4𝑘𝐽 = 3.6𝑘𝐽 𝑜𝑟 3600𝑘𝐽

Applying the efficiency formula……………..

𝐸𝑂
𝑒𝑓𝑓 = × 100%
𝐸𝐼

8.4𝑘𝐽
𝑒𝑓𝑓 = × 100% = 70%
12𝑘𝐽

Example problem

A baseball pitching machine launces a baseball of mass 149g at a speed of 23m/s. If the machine
is 90% efficient calculate the energy input provided to the machine.

Since the machine is used launch baseballs, the useful energy output would be the kinetic energy
of the baseball.
𝐸𝑂 = 1⁄2 𝑚𝑣 2

𝐸𝑂 = 1⁄2 × 0.149𝑘𝑔 × (23𝑚/𝑠)2 = 39.41 𝐽

Applying the efficiency formula……………..

𝐸𝑂
𝑒𝑓𝑓 = × 100%
𝐸𝐼

100%
𝐸𝐼 = 𝐸𝑂 ×
𝑒𝑓𝑓

100%
𝐸𝐼 = 39.41𝐽 × = 43.79 𝐽
90%

You might also like