Solar power-based technologies turn sunlight into electrical energy by using photovoltaic (PV) panels or mirrors that concentrate solar radiation. This solar-based energy can be utilized to create power or saved in batteries or thermal storage. A solar panel, also known as a solar module, is a component of a photovoltaic system. It is made of …
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A solar thermal power plant absorbs and concentrates sunlight to generate the high-temperature heat necessary to generate electricity. In a traditional solar thermal power plant, reflectors (mirrors) capture and focus sunlight onto a receiver. Most solar thermal power systems heat and circulate a heat-transfer fluid in the receiver before using it to produce steam.Steam is …
Electricity is generated in power plants that can harvest electrical energy from primary energy sources. Primary energy sources could be renewable (wind, solar power, tidal power, etc.) or non-renewable (coal, natural gas, oil, etc.). Fossil fuels like coal are turned into electricity by burning them to make steam to turn a turbine; unfortunately, this makes …
The photoelectric effect is a phenomenon that occurs when light strikes a metallic surface and causes electrons to eject from it. The electrons emitted in this process are photoelectrons. Alkali metals are commonly used in the photoelectric emission process. These are lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium, which exhibit a photoelectric effect when exposed to …
The electric power formula is given by P = VI, where V is the potential difference, I is the electric current and P is the electric power. Power is the rate at which energy of any type is transferred; electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred in a circuit. In the SI system, …
Light is a type of energy that is emitted by a light source. Light is made up of photons, which travel at high speeds. A photon behaves both as a wave and as a particle. A photon’s behaviour is difficult to describe because it is both a wave and a particle. Scientists describe the amount …
The electric flux of an electric field is a measure of the number of electric field lines passing through an area. The greater the area, the more field lines pass through it, and thus the greater the flux; similarly, the greater the electric field, the greater the flux. However, if the area is rotated so …
Planck’s constant is a basic constant that equals the energy of an electromagnetic radiation quantum divided by its frequency. Plank’s constant describes the relationship between the energy in one quantum (photon) of electromagnetic radiation and its frequency.The S.I unit of Planck’s constant is joule second. And the MKS unit is in eV second. Plank’s constant …
The thermal mass of a substance is its ability to absorb, store, and release heat. Different thermal mass materials absorb variable quantities of heat and absorb and re-radiate it for longer (or shorter) periods of time. A brick wall, for example, has more thermal mass than a timber-framed cavity wall, therefore it will absorb more …
Static electricity is the electrical phenomenon that causes your heirs to rise after rubbing a balloon on them.Before delving into numerous examples of static electricity in our daily lives, we must first understand the scientific meaning of static electricity.In scientific terms, static electricity is a non-moving imbalanced charge. It is the accumulation of an electrical charge on an object’s surface. It represents the extra charge in an electron transfer, which occurs often …
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas that has been liquefied for transportation and storage.Natural gas is almost entirely made of methane, while it does include trace amounts of other gases such as ethane, propane, butane, and pentane. Methane is made up of one carbon atom and four hydrogen atoms in a molecule.Liquefying methane (natural …
Hydro turbines are equipment used in hydroelectric power plants to transport energy from flowing water to a rotating shaft in order to create electricity. These turbines rotate or spin in reaction to the injection of water into their blades. How Hydro Turbine Works? Hydropower plants capture the energy of falling water to generate electricity. A …
The ability of a substance to deform under pressure is known as malleability. If material is malleable, it can be hammered or rolled into thin sheets. Malleability in metals is the ability to deform under compression and take on a new shape. Metals are malleable because of the ability of the atoms to roll over each …
Heat can be transferred in three ways: conduction, radiation, and convection.Conduction refers to the transfer of energy via the movement of particles in contact with one another. In technical terms, conduction is the transfer of heat energy through collisions between neighboring atoms or molecules. Conduction occurs more easily in solids and liquids because the particles …
Silicon is the second most abundant element, accounting for 27.7% of the Earth’s crust in terms of mass (oxygen is the first). It occurs in nature as an oxide (silica) and as silicates, rather than uncombined. Minerals found in the oxide include sand, quartz, rock crystal, amethyst, agate, flint, and opal. Silicates include asbestos, granite, …