During the production of electricity in a coal-fired power station, energy is present in the following forms:
I mechanical energy of turbine
II chemical energy of coal and oxygen
III thermal energy of steam
The amount of energy in each of these forms that take part in the generation of a fixed quantity of electricity is, from lowest to highest. - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 20 - 2007 - Paper 1
Question 20
During the production of electricity in a coal-fired power station, energy is present in the following forms:
I mechanical energy of turbine
II chemical energy of... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:During the production of electricity in a coal-fired power station, energy is present in the following forms:
I mechanical energy of turbine
II chemical energy of coal and oxygen
III thermal energy of steam
The amount of energy in each of these forms that take part in the generation of a fixed quantity of electricity is, from lowest to highest. - VCE - SSCE Chemistry - Question 20 - 2007 - Paper 1
Step 1
II chemical energy of coal and oxygen
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Answer
The chemical energy stored in coal and oxygen is the initial source of energy. It is the lowest form in the process of generating electricity since it needs to be converted into thermal energy first.
Step 2
III thermal energy of steam
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Answer
The thermal energy of steam is the next step in the energy transformation. As coal is burned, it generates heat, converting the chemical energy into thermal energy, which is used to produce steam.
Step 3
I mechanical energy of turbine
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Answer
Finally, the thermal energy of steam is converted into mechanical energy as it drives the turbine to generate electricity. This is the highest form of energy in this context.
