Technology 9 Unit 1 Assignment

1. Describe the following sources that can be used to produce

electricity:
i.

ii.

iii.

iv.

v.

vi.

vii.

Turbines in nuclear plants-In a nuclear-fueled power plant

much like a fossil-fueled power plant water is turned into
steam, which in turn drives turbine generators to produce
electricity. The difference is the source of heat. At nuclear
power plants, the heat to make the steam is created when
uranium atoms split called fission.
Hydroelectric stations-The most common type of
hydroelectric power plant uses a dam on a river to store
water in a reservoir. Water released from the reservoir
flows through a turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates
a generator to produce electricity.Fossil fuels- The United States gets 84% of its total energy
from oil, coal, and natural gas, all of which are fossil fuels.
We depend on fossil fuels to heat our homes, run our
vehicles, power industry and manufacturing, and provide
us with electricity.
Solar panels/collectors-Simply put, a solar panel works by
allowing photons, or particles of light, to knock electrons
free from atoms, generating a flow of electricity. Solar
panels actually comprise many, smaller units called
photovoltaic cells. (Photovoltaic simply means they convert
sunlight into electricity.)
Windmills-A windmill is a mill that converts the energy of
wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails
or blades. Centuries ago, windmills usually were used to
mill grain, pump water, or both. Thus they often were
gristmills, wind pumps, or both.
Batteries-The electrolyte is a chemical medium that allows
the flow of electrical charge between the cathode and
anode. When a device is connected to a batterya light
bulb or an electric circuitchemical reactions occur on the
electrodes that create a flow of electrical energy to the
device
Hydrogen cells-Fuel Cells & Hydrogen. A fuel cell is an
electrochemical device that combines hydrogen and
oxygen to produce electricity, with water and heat as its
by-product. In its simplest form, a single fuel cell consists
of two electrodes - an anode and a cathode - with an
electrolyte between them.

2. The following diagram shows how electricity is distributed from a

power source to homes and business.

Technology 9 Unit 1 Assignment

Describe the purpose of each of the following items in the

diagram:
i.
ii.
iii.

Transformer- shortens the amount of watts in a power

line
Substation takes away even more of the watts so its
safe
Explain why electricity is carried at very high voltages
during transmission. For the same amount of power to
transfer, the line current will reduce and so does the
current carrying capacity of conductors. The reduced
current capacity will result in the less volume of
conductor for a given length. Contrary to Distribution
systems, there are no legal restrictions on voltage
regulation in case of transmission of bulk power (in
some cases voltage varies as much as 40%), the only
criteria to transmit power is the economy of conductors.