What is energy?
Energy is what helps things work or move. In the same way as your body needs the energy that it gets from food to be able to move and function, machines and devices need energy to be able to work'
There are different types of energy that we can use to power things around us.
Fran: We are talking about what makes things work.
And everything from your TV to your car needs an energy source to make it work.
This torch is powered by a battery, whilst some cars are powered by petrol and some hobs are powered by gas, so I candrink my cup of tea!
Now, there are lots of natural energy sources such as the Sun, the wind, or water.
All of these are known as renewable energy sources as they will never run out.
These energy sources are better for the environment as they occur naturally and they cause less pollution.
Then, there are also fossil fuels.
And these are remains of plants and animals from millions of years ago.
And over time, they have been buried under layers of sand and mud and become coal, oil, and gas.
We extract, so take these, and burn them to give us energy we can use.
Coal, oil, and gas are all non-renewable energy sources as there's only a certain amount within the ground, and we've takena lot of them already.
They will eventually run out.
Now, when we burn fossil fuels, carbon that's trapped inside them is released into our atmosphere as carbon dioxide.
And this carbon dioxide traps heat in our atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
Non-renewable energy sources like coal, oil, and gas cause pollution in our air when they're burnt.
Renewable energy sources like the sun and wind are cleaner, and because they won't run out, they are more sustainable.
This is why governments are committed to using more renewable energies in the future.
Types of energy
There are two types of energy:
Non-renewable energy sources include coal, gas and oil. These are called fossil fuels and are burned to create energy, which has a negative impact on the environment. Most cars, trains and planes use non-renewable energy
Renewable energy includes solar, hydro and wind energy. It uses things that cannot run out and are found naturally all around us to create energy, such as sunlight, water and wind. These types of energy are better and safer for the environment
How does renewable energy work?
Imagine you have a jar of sweets. If you eat all the sweets but someone keeps adding more sweets to your jar, you'll never run out of treats. That's how renewable energy works – it's a never-ending supply of energy that we can keep using.
Renewable energy is a sustainable energy, meaning it can be replaced.
Watch: Renewable and non-renewable energy
A lot of our energy comes from non-renewable sources such as coal, oil and gas.
These resources are made up from the remains of ancient animals and plants…
…that develop over millions and millions of years deep beneath the ground into what we call fossil fuels.
Fossil fuels are burned by power stations to produce electricity as well as in things like cars, planes and…
…steam trains!
But non-renewable resources generate harmful greenhouse gases that damage the habitats of animals and plants, and contribute to global warming.
And our increasing demand for energy means they won’t last forever.
So we need to look for ways to make renewable and sustainable energy resources.
For example wind, solar and hydro energy.
These are just some of the resources that are more friendly towards the environment.
These renewable energy resources can quickly replenish themselves and can be used again and again.
Fascinating facts
One wind turbine can produce enough electricity to power up to 1500 homes.
Oil is still the largest source of primary energy worldwide.
Solar energy is almost 200 years old, with the first solar created in 1883 by Charles Fritts.
Carbon makes up most of our fossil fuels, which are non-renewable.
We generate up-to 78% of our energy from non-renewable sources.
Wind power is the largest source of renewable energy in the UK
Iceland gets more than 75% of its energy from low-carbon sources. Most of this is from hydropower with other renewables – mainly geothermal energy from heat deep inside the Earth.
Slideshow: Types of renewable and non-renewable energy
Image caption, Coal
Coal is burned to create energy. You can see this in power stations or to power steam trains. It is a non-renewable energy
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Did you know?
In 2023 it was estimated that we had around 1.6 trillion barrels of oil left before it runs out. As it's a non-renewable fuel it will never replenish itself and will run out eventually.
Important words
Energy – Energy is what provides the power to helps things work or move.
Environment – Everything that surrounds us, including living and non-living things.
Non-renewable energy – An energy source that will run out and cannot be used again.
Renewable energy – An energy source that will not run out and a never-ending supply.
Sustainable - Can be replaced and won't run out.
Activities
Activity 1 – Types of energy quiz
Activity 3 – Design a renewable energy vehicle
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