2º ESO

UNIT 6: Energy

Susana Morales Bernal

Objectives
1. To know that energy is not something material.
2. To know that energy is a property of the objects or systems that is related with their
ability to produce changes in themselves or in other objects or systems.
3. To know that the unit of the international system of energy is the Joule (J) and to know
that another unit of energy is the calorie (cal) that is equivalent to 4,18 joules.
4. To know how to calculate the kinetic energy of an object, known its mass and speed.
5. To know how to calculate the gravitational potential energy of an object, knowing its
weight and height.
6. To know the meaning of calorific value of a fuel.
7. To know that energy is always the same in any transformation ( it retains), that is, that
the sum of the energies of the systems at the beginning of the transformation is equal
to the sum of the energies of the systems at the end.
8. To know how to describe the physical and chemical transformations that systems
suffer as well as the changes of energy associated with them.
9. To know how to apply the principle of conservation of energy in a qualitative manner.
10. To know that when we use the energy for some process, it loses utility, that is, it
degrades.
11. To know that heat is the energy transferred between two objects or systems due to a
difference of temperature between two objects or systems and to know that the
objects don’t have heat.
12. To know that the dilation and contraction processes occur in all the states of matter.
13. To know the value assigned to fixed points of the Kelvin and Celsius scales.
14. To know the meaning of thermal conductor and thermal insulator.
15. To know how to explain the difference between renewable and non renewable energy
sources.
Susana Morales
16. To know how to explain how electricity Bernal
is produced.
 What is energy?
Energy is the ability of objects to produce changes or
transformations in themselves or in other objects. We say that
something has energy when it has the property of producing
changes or transformations.

The petrol has energy and the

cars move thanks to this
energy.

The hummingbird takes the

energy for flying from the
energy that there is in the
food. Susana Morales Bernal
 Types of energy
Although energy has always the same meaning, there are diferent types of energy
depending on the origin of the ability to produce changes or transformations. Some of
these types of energy are the following ones:
Kinetic energy: associated with the movement of objects. If the air is at rest
has less energy that if it moves.
Gravitational potential energy: associated with the position of objects. An
aeroplane has more energy when it is 1000 m high that when it is at ground
level.
Mechanical energy: kinetic energy plus potential energy.
Internal energy: associated with the type of substance, mass and temperature.
1 litre of petrol has more energy than 1 litre of water.
2 litres of water have more energy than 1 litre of water.
1 litre of water at 20 ºC has less energy than 1 litre of water at 60 ºC.
Electrical energy: associated with an electric current.
Luminous energy: associated with the light of the Sun or with the light of any object.
Chemical energy: associated with the absorbed or emitted energy in chemical
reactions.
Nuclear energy: associated with the nucleus of atoms.
Susana Morales Bernal
 Units of energy
The unit of energy of the international system is the joule (J). Any
form of energy is measured in joules in the international system of
units.

Another unit of energy is the calorie (cal). One calorie equals 4,18
joules.

A calorie is the amount of

energy required to raise one
degree, the temperature of
one gram of water

1 cal = 4,18 J
Susana Morales Bernal
 Kinetic energy
The kinetic energy is the energy that objects in motion have.
The kinetic energy of a car that moves at 100 km/h is
less than the kinetic energy of a lorry that moves at
the same speed due to its capacity to produce
The kinetic energy depends changes is lower.
on mass and velocity.

The kinetic energy of a car is greater when it moves

at 100 km/h than when it moves at 50 km/h due to its
capacity to produce changes is greater.

Ek 1 m v2
The mathematical expression of the kinetic energy is:
2
In this expression, the
mass has to be measured
in kg and the speed in m/s
and the resulting kinetic
energy will be in joules

Susana Morales Bernal

 Gravitational potential energy
The gravitational potential energy is the energy that an object has
due to its position.
The gravitational potential energy depends on weight and height. Unlike mass, an
object’s weight depends on its location.
The weight of an object can be calculated by means of the expression:

Weight = mass x g

Where g is the gravity acceleration whose value is 9,8 m/s2 on Earth, but it is lower
on the Moon.

The mathematical expression of the gravitational potential energy is: Ep mgh

The greater the mass In this expression, the

and the height are, mass has to be measured
in kg, the height in m and
the greater is the
the resulting gravitational
gravitational potential potential energy will be in
energy. joules
Susana Morales Bernal
 Internal energy
All objects have internal energy. The internal energy of an object depends on:

 Type of substance (chemical composition) The objects don’t

have heat. The
 Mass
objects have
 Temperature internal energy.
One litre of petrol has more energy than one litre of water.
Two litres of water have more energy than one litre of water.
One litre of water at 20 ºC has less energy than one litre of water at 60 ºC.

Some substances as fuels and explosives, have, due to their atomic constitution, a lot
of internal energy that is produced by its combustion.

A characteristic of fuels is The calorific value of a petrol

their calorific value (calorific is 43680 kJ/kg, that means
power), which represents the that when 1 kg of that petrol is
energy produced by the burned, 43680 kJ of energy
combustion of 1 kilogram of are produced.
that fuel

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 Degradation and conservation of energy
The type of energy can change or the energy can be transferred from one
system to another but energy cannot be created or destroyed.

The type of energy can change when changes in systems happen. On the other
hand, a system can increase its amount of energy but only if another system
decreases its amount of energy. A system can decrease its amount of energy
but only if another system increases its amount of energy. We can’t obtain
energy from nothing.
Change of the type of energy: while Transferred energy: when petrol is
an object is falling from a certain burned inside the engine of a car, its
height, its gravitational potential internal energy is transferred and the
energy decreases and its kinetic car increases its kinetic and internal
energy, increases. energy.

Energy degrades when it can’t be used again. Energy is transformed, cannot

be created or destroyed.

Susana Morales Bernal

 Transference of energy: heat
We must not confuse temperature and heat. We speak about
temperature to inform of a characteristic of an object and we
speak about heat to refer to certain processes of energy transfer.
Heat is the transfer of internal
Temperature is a property that energy between two objects with
inform us about the thermal state of different temperatures. When two
the objects. The greater the objects at different temperatures
temperature of an object is, the come into contact, the temperature
more the internal energy the object of each one changes until both
has. One litre of water at 20 ºC has objects have the same. It is said that
less internal energy than one litre of they have reached the thermal
water at 60 ºC. balance. Heat is a process and not
something contained in an object.

When we mix cold water and hot water, the cold water increases its
temperature (it is heated) while the hot water decreases its temperature (it is
cooled), so that at the end both have the same temperature.
Susana Morales Bernal
 Dilation and contraction
The volume occupied by an object depends on temperature. When the
temperature of an object changes, its volume changes. This happens in any
state of matter.

Dilation is the increase of volume of an object when its temperature increases.

Contraction is the decrease of volume of an object when its temperature
decreases.
Dilatations and contractions of the objects must be taken into account, especially in
constructions.

What are dilation joints used for?

They are slots which allow materials to dilate

when the temperature increases without
breaking the structures.

Almost all the thermometers are based on

the dilation of liquid substances.
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 Thermometers and temperature scales
To measure the temperature of an object we use thermometers, instruments
based on thermal balance. In principle, any magnitude which varies with
temperature can serve to measure, but the most widely used is the dilation of
liquid substances such as mercury or alcohol.

The melting point of ice and the boiling point of liquid water, to one atmosphere
of pressure, tend to be the fixed points used to establish the scale that allows
us to measure temperatures.

The thermometer is placed within ice when the ice begins to melt, after a time
the thermometer and the ice will have the same temperature. When this
happens, the height that reaches the thermometric liquid (mercury, alcohol,
etc.) is marked. The operation is repeated with boiling water, and again, the
height that the thermometric liquid reaches, is marked.
The space between two signals is divided into a number of equal intervals.

Different thermometric scales are obtained depending on the values assigned

to the earlier marks. The scales are: Celsius, Kelvin, Fahrenheit.
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 Thermometers and temperature scales
SCALE MELTING POINT OF ICE BOILING POINT OF WATER
CELSIUS 0 °C 100 °C
KELVIN 273 K 373 K
FAHRENHEIT 32 ° F 212 ° F
Absolute zero (0 K) is the temperature when all the particles of a substance stop
moving.
To convert degrees Celsius to Kelvin we must add 273. Tª (K) = Tª (⁰C) + 273

To convert Kelvin to degrees Celsius we must

Tª (⁰C) = Tª (K) - 273
substract 273.

To convert degrees Celsius to degrees Fahrenheit, we

Tª (°F) = 1.8 x Tª (⁰C) + 32
must multiply by 1.8 and add 32.

To convert degrees Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius, we

Tª (°C) = (Tª (⁰F) – 32) / 1.8
must subtract 32 and divide by 1.8. Susana Morales Bernal
 Thermal conductor and thermal insulator
There are materials that allow the heat passage, e.g. metals, while others
greatly hinder the passage of heat, e.g. wood and wool. Those who are poor
conductors are called thermal insulator.

A thermal insulator is a material

that does not conduct heat well.
The reason is that they contain
weak molecular bonds in disorderly
arrangements. Heat is transfered in
a material by the vibration of the Most metals are good thermal
atoms and molecules. A disorderly conductors but the best thermal
arrangement of particles and bonds conductors of all are diamond and
slows down the passage of heat carbon nanotubes. The reason for
through the material. this is that both diamond and
carbon nanotubes contains strong
molecular bonds in very regular
order making it easy for molecular
vibrations to travel quickly and
efficiently through the materials.
Susana Morales Bernal
 Sensation of cold and heat
The sensations of cold or heat are related to the speed with which energy
leaves or enters our body.
To explain properly the sensation of heat and cold, we must take into account
two factors:

 The difference of temperature between the material that we are going to

touch and our body.
 The conductivity of the material.
If the material is a good conductor, it favours the passage of energy and the
sensation of cold or heat is large.

The sensation of heat or cold depends not only on the temperature of the environment
which we are in, but also on the speed of the wind and the temperature and humidity of
the air.

A day in which the air temperature is 10 ºC and with wind of 25 km/h,

the thermal sensation can be of 0 ºC.

Susana Morales Bernal

 Sources of energy
The sources of energy can be non-renewable or renewable.

The non-renewable sources are limited and cannot be replaced when they run out while
the renewable sources can be replaced or used again and they will not run out, at least
for now.

The main sources are non- renewable, in particular, fossil fuels: oil, coal and natural gas
and uranium.

The environmental problems associated with these sources are well known: pollution,
the most discussed problem of global warming and its exhaustion.

Alternative sources are renewable energies such as hydraulic, solar, wind, geothermal,
wave, tide, biomass. Unfortunately, renewable energies account for only a few per cent
of the global energy consumption. Besides, they are unreliable, intermittent and
relatively costly. However, these sources, would allow us to obtain energy without
emitting greenhouse gases and also would reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.

Oil means a 50,3 % of the global energy, coal, a 15,2 %, natural gas, a 15,8 %,
renewable energies, a 6,8 % and nuclear power, an 11,9 %.
Susana Morales Bernal
 Sources of energy
Sources of energy

can be

Renewable Non-renewable

They can be replaced or They are limited and

used again and they will cannot be replaced
not run out for now when they run out

Hydraulic Oil
Solar Coal
Wind Natural gas
Geothermal Uranium
Wave
Tide
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Biomass
 Electrical energy
We have a huge dependence of electrical energy. Refrigerators, washing machines,
television, computers, cars, lighting, etc., need electrical energy to work.
A generator is a device that transforms another kind of energy into electrical energy. The
most important is the dynamo. The dynamo is a device for converting mechanical
energy into electrical energy.
The dynamo bases its operation in the property of producing electricity in a metal strand
(wire) when it moves near a magnet or a magnet moves near a metal strand.
Other generators are batteries that transform the internal energy into electrical energy
and photovoltaic cells that transform luminous energy into electrical energy.

Electricity production is based

on getting that a coil turn respect
to a magnet in the dynamo, and
the way to achieve this, it is
what differentiates the various
types of power stations or power
plants.
Susana Morales Bernal
 Thermal power plant and nuclear power plant

Thermal power stations burn fuel: oil, coal or natural gas and steam at high pressure occurs. This
steam, rotates the blades of a turbine and the turbine rotates the dynamo that produces electrical
energy.
Nuclear power plants obtain the energy to produce steam at
high pressure, from nuclear processes. From this moment,
they works like a thermal power plant.

Fuel rods contain enriched uranium.

Susana Morales Bernal

 Hydroelectric power plant
Hydraulic energy is the energy that water has that runs through the mountains,
streams and rivers. To obtain hydraulic energy, reservoirs are constructed to
store the water at a great height.

The gravitational potential energy of the water is transformed into mechanical energy
when the turbines blades, placed at the bottom of the dam, are moved by the water. The
dynamos are moved by these turbines, producing electrical energy.

Susana Morales Bernal

 Solar power plant
Although energy from the Sun is also the origin of hydraulic energy, wind or biomass,
solar energy is defined as the direct exploitation of the radiation from the Sun. There are
two ways to harness this energy: to heat water at low temperature and to produce
electrical energy.

There are two ways to produce electricity

with solar energy: thermal capture at high
temperature and photovoltaic capture.

Photovoltaic capture: photovoltaic

panels capture sunlight and transform
it directly into electricity. It works as if it
was a battery.

Thermal capture: It is to produce steam at high

pressure and temperature, concentrating radiation
from the Sun. This is done either with flat or
parabolic mirrors. The steam is able to move a
turbine and produce
Susana Morales Bernal electricity.
 Wind power plant
Wind energy is a source which harness the kinetic energy of the wind to produce
electrical energy. Current wind mills are called wind turbines.

The wind rotates the blades of a wind

turbine that are mounted on a horizontal
axis. This axis is connected to a transmitter
of movement which makes to move a
generator that produces electricity.

Susana Morales Bernal

 Geothermal power plant
Geothermal energy is the energy associated with the internal energy that there is in the
interior of the Earth.

This energy can only be obtained in some places since the differences in temperature
must be large to make the exploitation profitable. This is the case of areas with geysers.

Most exploitations are made with two wells, by one, hot water is obtained and by the
other, the retrieved flow once it has cooled, is injected into the aquifer.

Susana Morales Bernal

 Wave power plant
Ocean wave energy is the energy associated with the kinetic energy of waves. Wave
energy plants or wave power plants are commonly known as wave farms. There is
tremendous energy in the ocean waves.
There are several methods of getting energy from waves:

Tapered channel: relied on mounted structure in a shore that concentrates the waves
and water is stored into an elevated reservoir. The water that flows out of this reservoir is
used to generate electricity.

Buoy systems: floating tubes or anchored buoys, rise and fall with the waves. The
movement turn a generator and produces electricity.

Oscillating water column: motion of waves at the shore makes that water enter a column
and the air that is inside, is forced to turn a turbine.

Susana Morales Bernal

 Tidal power plant
The tide moves a huge amount of water twice each day. The sea waters go up and down
twice each day. This movement is very large in some places and gives the possibility to
harness the kinetic energy of these enormous masses of water.

There are several methods of getting energy from tides:

Tidal stream systems: make use of the kinetic energy of water. Water moves blades of a
turbine and turbine rotates a generator, in a similar way to windmills.

Barrages: make use of the potential energy because of the difference in height between
high and low tides. They are essentially dams across the full width of an estuary.

Dynamic tidal power: exploits a combination of potential and kinetic energy: by

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constructing long dams of 30–50 km in length into the sea or ocean.
 Energy

Property of objects or systems to produce changes or transformations

Types It transforms It transfers It conserves It degrades Sources

Kinetic When there is a difference of

Gravitational temperature between two objects Renewable Non-renewable
potential
Mechanical
Internal
Luminous Heat Oil Wave
Electrical Coal Solar
Nuclear Natural gas Wind
Uranium Hydraulic
Kinetic Potential Internal Geothermal
Biomass

It depends on mass and speed It depends on weight and height It depends on mass,
temperature and type of
substance
1
Ek m v2 Susana Morales Bernal
2 Ep mgh
Put the following words in order to form a text with sense

the
changes
has
of
energy
it
or Something
property

producing transformations.

when
has

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Relate the terms of the two columns

A. Combustion of a match 1. Internal energy

B. A ball to a certain height 2. Potential energy

C. A ball moves 3. Chemical energy

D. Friction between a match and a 4. Kinetic energy

sandpaper

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What types of energy do the following have?
A. The water in a waterfall

B. A hot coffee

C. A jumper who stands on the top of a springboard

D. A burning log

E. An arrow when it has been shot

F. Ocean waves

G. A high jumper who is running before leaving the ground

H. A plane is 3000 metres high

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What changes of energy occur in each of the following cases?
Relate the terms of the two columns

1. Dynamo of a bicycle A. Mechanical energy Electrical energy

2. A bulb B. Electrical energy Luminous energy

3. An iron C. Luminous energy Electrical energy

4. A loudspeaker D. Electrical energy Internal energy

5. A fan E. Electrical energy Acoustic energy

6. A photovoltaic panel F. Electrical energy Mechanical energy

Susana Morales Bernal

What changes of energy occur in each of the following cases?

A. The washing machine A. …………. energy …………. energy

starts turning
B. Butane gas burns B. …………. energy …………. energy
C. A stone falls from a
C. …………. energy …………. energy
certain height
D. Petrol burns and a car D. …………. energy …………. energy
moves
E. A crane lifts a load of E. …………. energy …………. energy
bricks
F. A thunder crashes F. …………. energy ………… energy

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Calculate the kinetic energy of a 45 g golf ball travelling
at:

A. 20 m/s
Ek 1 m v2
2
B. 216 km/h
mass in kilograms
C. 40 m/s
speed in metres/seconds

D. 36 km/h

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A 50 kg bicyclist on a 10 kg bicycle speeds up from 5
m/s to 10 m/s.

A. What was the total kinetic energy before

accelerating?

B. What was the total kinetic energy after

accelerating?

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What is the gravitational potential energy of a 61.2 kg
person standing on the roof of a 10-storey building
relative to:
Each storey is 2.50 m high

A. The tenth floor

Ep mgh

B. The sixth floor mass in kilograms

g = 9,8 m/s2
C. The first floor height in metres

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A plane is flying at 720 km/h and is 4000 metres high.

A. What is its kinetic energy?

B. What is its gravitational potential energy?

C. What is its mechanical energy?

Remember that the mechanical

energy is the kinetic energy
plus the potential energy

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Choose a word and fill the blanks below

32, 100, 273, 373, melting, solid, ice, liquid, boiling, gaseous

The ……………………. point of water is:

0 °C (degrees Celsius) = …… K (Kelvin) = …… °F (degrees
Fahrenheit). Below 0 ºC water remains in …………….. state,
which it means it is as …….. .

The ……………… point of water is:

……. °C (degrees Celsius) = ……. K (Kelvin) = 212 °F (degrees
Fahrenheit). Water remains in ………………. state between 0 °C
and 100 °C and if water is at more than 100 ºC is in
………………. state.
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Complete the following chart. Remember that:

Tª (K) = Tª (⁰C) + 273

Tª (°F) = 1.8 x Tª (⁰C) + 32

Temperature Temperature Temperature

(°C) (K) (°F)
20
100
36
- 10
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At how many degrees Celsius don’t the atoms move?
As a substance heats up , the particles start
to move around more quickly and the
temperature rises . So the temperature
measures the average kinetic energy of the
particles in a substance

A. At 0 ºC

B. At 273 K

C. At – 273 ºC

D. That cannot happen

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Why is the double glazing so useful to insulate thermally the
houses?

A. Because the two panes do not conduct heat

well.

B. Because the pane has a thermal conductivity

much lower than air

C. Because the air is very bad thermal conductor

D. Because the air is a very good thermal

conductor
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Why is heat retained in the interior of an inhabited igloo?

A. Because the ice is a bad

thermal insulator

B. Because the ice is a good

thermal conductor

C. Because the ice has a low

thermal conductivity

D. Because it has reached the

thermal equilibrium with the
outside
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Tell if the following affirmations are true or false.

1. The objects have heat

2. When energy is spent, the energy is lost

3. Energy is a material substance

4. All matter has internal energy

5. Heat and temperature are more or less the same

6. The cooler substance tranfers internal energy to the

warmer one
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Select only those items that are examples of renewable sources
of energy

 Coal  Hydroelectric

 Wind  Oil

 Natural gas  Biomass

 Tidal  Solar

 Geothermal  Uranium

 Fossil fuels  Wave

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You can see in the graphic, the detail of consumption of different
sources of energy in Spain during 2009. Use the bar chart to
answer the following questions:
1. Which fossil fuels have been
used in Spain?

2. What percentage of Spain’s

energy consumption is from
renewable sources?

3. What percentage of Spain’s

energy consumption is from
non-renewable sources?

4. What is bagasse?

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Relate the terms of the two columns

1. Internal heat of Earth A. Non-renewable energy, liquid fossil fuel

2. Sun B. Wind energy

3. Natural gas C. Geothermal energy

4. Coal D. Non-renewable energy, solid fossil fuel

5. Oil E. Tidal power

6. Wind F. Non-renewable energy, gaseous fossil fuel

7. Reservoirs G. Solar energy

8. Tides H. Hydroelectric energy

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Unscramble the following words:
A. wbreaenel _________

B. rwpeo _____

C. vyraigt _______

D. larucen _______

E. nseshar _______

F. gnreadaodti ___________

G. inerhd ______

H. alntp _____

I. rnuietb _______

J. ytebatr _______
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Revise your vocabulary
Choose a word and fill the blanks below
volume, electrical, changes, non-renewable, Potential, unit, joule, dynamo, renewable, kinetic, mass,
gravitational, weight, height. Heat, temperatures, movement , decrease, mechanical, Energy

A. ……………… is the ability of objects to produce ………….. or transformations in

themselves or in other objects
B. Kinetic energy is the energy associated with the ……………... of the objects.
C. The ……………….. energy depends on ………….. and velocity.
D. …………………. energy is the energy associated with the position of the objects.
E. The ……………... potential energy depends on ………… and ………….. .
F. The ………… of energy of the international system is the ....................... .
G. ………… is the transfer of internal energy between two objects with different
…………………………. .
H. Dilation is the increase of …………. of an object when its temperature increases.
I. Contraction is the ……............. of volume of an object when its temperature
decreases.
J. The sources of energy can be ………………………. or …………………………… .
K. A generator is a device that transforms another kind of energy into …………….
energy. The most important is the ………………. , it is a device for converting
…………………. energy into electrical energy.
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 Bagasse  Gravitational  Renewable
 Bar chart  Gravity acceleration  Scale
 Battery  Hydraulic  Solar
 Biomass  Hydroelectric  Thermal
 Calorie  Internal  Thermal conductor
 Calorific value  Joule  Thermal insulator
 Capture  Kinetic  Tidal
 Coal  Luminous  Tide
 Conservation  Mechanical  Transference
 Contraction  Natural gas  To harness
 Degradation  Non-renewable  To hinder
 Dilation  Nuclear  To rotate
 Electrical  Oil  To transfer
 Energy  Petrol  To turn
 Equilibrium  Photovoltaic  Uranium
 Fan  Plant  Wave
 Fossil fuel  Potential  Wind
 Geothermal  Power  Wind turbine
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