History of Energy Use
What is energy and how is it used?
Energy
Energy is the fundamental ability or capacity of matter to do work or produce change.
Kinetic energy is the energy of motion. This includes the movement of atoms and molecules and the movement of running and walking.
Potential energy is stored energy. It is the energy of position, the position with respect to another object. Different arrangements of atoms or molecules cause different amounts of potential energy.
Heat is the kinetic energy that flows from a hotter object to a colder object.
Temperature is the measure of average kinetic energy of atoms or molecules in a substance. Heat flows from a higher temperature to a lower temperture.
A reaction that requires energy can either be exothermic or endothermic. An exothermic reaction includes the release of energy through heat. An endothermic reaction is the absorption of energy to create products of higher potential energy.
Nonrenewable Energy
Nonrenewable energy comes from sources that cannot be renewed in our lifetime. Fossil fuels, such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas, are nonrenewable sources of energy that may run out and not be able to be replenished in our lifetime.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is any energy that does not use fossil fuels. Renewable energy can be used repeatedly without the fear of depletion. They are naturally replenished within the human timeline. Renewable energies include wind and solar energy.
Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy is energy created from the nucleus of an atom. This energy is radioactive and is usually harnessed by nuclear fission, decay, or fusion. This energy is highly destructive.
These will be discussed in detail later in this module.
Fuel
Fuel is any soild, liquid, or gaseous substance that may be combusted or burned to produce heat or work.
Fuel is considered valuable if it ignites easily at a low temperature and produces a large quantity of heat during combustion. It is ideal that fuel is inexpensively insolated and has properties that allow for safe and efficient storage and transportation. The ideal fuel should leave behind little residue and should not be harmful to health or the environment. No fuels satisfy these ideal terms.
History of Energy
Prehistoric
Fuels, especially fossil fuels, must be created over time. They can only be harvested after years and years of development. Current fuels are derived from fossilized plant and animal life buried between layers of sediment. Oxygen failed to reach this decaying material and temperature and pressure increased as additional layers formed. The decrease in oxygen and increase in temperature and pressure caused additional chemical reactions to occur. Plant and animal decay were transformed into coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Solar energy became stored in solid, liquid, and gas states.
Industrial Revolution: The 18th & 19th Century
The Industrial Revolution (1760-1840) in the United States created a great economic boom. With the introduction of new power sources, new machinery and technology, and new manufacturing systems, the United States industries became highly productive and efficient.
The automation of the manufacturing process changed consumerism. Consumer goods and necessities that had once been a luxury became widely available. Homes were now heated by parlor stoves instead of fireplaces and rooms were lit by oil lamps instead of candles.
In the years before 1800, wood was the major energy source in the United States. Though it was readily available, the use of wood as fuel was not an efficient way to produce economic success. The Industrial Revolution began the great exploitation of fossil fuels.
Transportation of common necessities spiked in the early 1800s. The invention of the steamboat drove the travel industry and the economic prosperity around the Mississippi River and settlement westward. The travel industry widened with the development of the railroad in the late 1820s. The development of the railroad stimulated greater demand for coal, iron, and steel. This need for materials fueled the growth of American commerce and greatened the want for fossil fuels. This transportation revolution led to the development of the coal, iron, and steel industries, driving American economic expansion.
The Building of Technology: The 19th & 20th Century
Following the Industrial Revolution (mid-19th Century-20th century), coal was the most heavily used energy source in the United States. Coal was used to run transportation, alongside generating electrically. The process of obtaining coal will be explored in a later module. In the early 20th century, coal consumption shifted to oil consumption. In 1901 the oil industry was changed. Drilling into a hill composed of a giant salt dome in southeast Texas released an emission of oil that reached 150 feet in height. Named the Lucas Spindletop gusher, this explosion of oil became the lead cause of oil expansion in the United States.
The development of automobiles pushed the growth of oil use and by 1950 the use of petroleum surpassed the use of coal as the major energy source in the United States. Petroleum, or crude oil, has the advantage of being a liquid. This means that it is easier to pump to the surface and for transportation. Petroleum yields 40-60% more energy than coal. Both coal and crude oil are fossil fuels but the efficiency, transportation, and collection of crude oil are favored.
Nuclear Techonolgy
Nuclear technology, such as radioactivity, was discovered in 1896 by French physicist Antoine Becquerel and has become increasingly important during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, providing the basis for various technologies related to energy, medicine, geology, and many other areas. Nuclear fission, fusion, and decay have been used to aid war and develop science as it is known today.
