1.2.1

Energy Losses & Efficiency

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Wasted Energy

When one store of energy is transferred to another, some energy is wasted (transferred into unwanted stores of energy). This dissipates (spreads out) to anything nearby.

Illustrative background for Car engines - noise and heatIllustrative background for Car engines - noise and heat ?? "content

Car engines - noise and heat

  • Car engines make a lot of noise and get hot when they are being used to move you about.
  • The useful energy store here is the kinetic store because you want the car to move you from one place to another.
  • The heat and sound energy are wasted energy because they are of no use to you.
Illustrative background for Wires - heatIllustrative background for Wires - heat ?? "content

Wires - heat

  • When wires are used in an electrical circuit, they heat up.
  • This is often not useful energy and so it is wasted.
Illustrative background for Friction - heatIllustrative background for Friction - heat ?? "content

Friction - heat

  • In almost every energy transfer, friction creates heat energy and this energy is often wasted.

Efficiency of Energy Transfer

The efficiency of an energy transfer can never be more than 100. It is defined below:

Illustrative background for Efficiency (energy in joules)Illustrative background for Efficiency (energy in joules) ?? "content

Efficiency (energy in joules)

  • Efficiency = (useful energy output/total energy input) x 100
    • The useful energy output and total energy input are measured in joules (J).
Illustrative background for Efficiency (power in watts)Illustrative background for Efficiency (power in watts) ?? "content

Efficiency (power in watts)

  • Efficiency = (useful power output/total power input) x 100
    • The useful power output and total power input are measured in watts (W).

Jump to other topics

1Energy

2Electricity

3Particle Model of Matter

4Atoms & Radiation

5Forces

6Waves

7Magnetism

8Astrophysics

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