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0 10-July-2020

Study Guide in NPS 102 – CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS Module No. 1

STUDY GUIDE FOR MODULE NO. 1

ENERGY
OVERVIEW

Energy is vital for any activities related to the practice of engineering. Sources, utilization, conversion
and transformation of such shall be considered once an engineer do innovations and developments related to
this, specifically in agricultural production as the world now is facing energy crisis.
This module will introduce you to the scope of energy and to keep you abreast with the sources of
energy including the processes of how it is being transformed or converted.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the end of this module, students will be able to:

1. Review on Energy and Chemistry

LEARNING CONTENTS. 1.1 ENERGY

Chemistry for Engineers is very essential as an introductory course for the program BS in Agricultural
and Biosystems Engineering. This course as stated on its description deals with core concepts of chemistry
that are important in the practice of engineering profession, and one of these is the study on energy.

Now let us define energy. There are many technical definitions given for Energy but the essence is
just similar. Bueche and Hecht (1997) defines energy as it is given to an object when a force does work on the
object. The amount of energy transferred to the object equals the work done. Further, when an object does
work, it loses an amount of energy equal to the work it does. Energy and work have the same units, joules.
Energy, like work, is a scalar quantity. An object that is capable of doing work possesses energy.

Energy plays an essential role both in everyday events and in scientific phenomena. You can no
doubt name many forms of energy, from that provided by our foods, to the energy we use to run our cars, to
the sunlight that warms us on the beach. You can also cite examples of what people call energy that may not
be scientific, such as someone having an energetic personality. Not only does energy have many interesting
forms, it is involved in almost all phenomena, and is one of the most important concepts of physics. What
makes it even more important is that the total amount of energy in the universe is constant. Energy can
change forms, but it cannot appear from nothing or disappear without a trace. Energy is thus one of a handful
of physical quantities that we say is conserved (OpenStax, 2013)

Also according to OpenStax (2013), conservation of energy (as physicists like to call the principle that
energy can neither be created nor destroyed) is based on experiment. Even as scientists discovered new
forms of energy, conservation of energy has always been found to apply. Perhaps the most dramatic example
of this was supplied by Einstein when he suggested that mass is equivalent to energy. Energy resources are
key limiting factors to economic growth. The world use of energy resources, especially oil, continues to grow,
with ominous consequences economically, socially, politically, and environmentally.

Energy, as we have noted, is conserved, making it one of the most important physical quantities in
nature. The law of conservation of energy can be stated as follows: Total energy is constant in any process. It
may change in form or be transferred from one system to another, but the total remains the same (OpenStax,
2013)

In simplest word we can say that energy may change from one form to another form. And before we
proceed to that transformation take a look first at the following different forms of energy.

1. Chemical energy is energy stored in the bonds of atoms and molecules. Batteries, biomass,
petroleum, natural gas, and coal are examples of chemical energy. Chemical energy is converted to
thermal energy when people burn wood in a fireplace or burn gasoline in a car's engine (EIA, 2020).

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Study Guide in NPS 102 – CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS Module No. 1

2. Mechanical energy is energy stored in objects by tension. Compressed springs and stretched rubber
bands are examples of stored mechanical energy (EIA, 2020).

3. Nuclear energy is energy stored in the nucleus of an atom—the energy that holds the nucleus
together. Large amounts of energy can be released when the nuclei are combined or split apart (EIA,
2020)

4. Gravitational energy is energy stored in an object's height. The higher and heavier the object, the
more gravitational energy is stored. When a person rides a bicycle down a steep hill and picks up
speed, the gravitational energy is converting to motion energy. Hydropower is another example of
gravitational energy, where gravity forces water down through a hydroelectric turbine to produce
electricity (EIA, 2020).

5. Radiant energy is electromagnetic energy that travels in transverse waves. Radiant energy includes
visible light, x-rays, gamma rays, and radio waves. Light is one type of radiant energy. Sunshine is
radiant energy, which provides the fuel and warmth that make life on earth possible (EIA, 2020).

6. Thermal energy, or heat, is the energy that comes from the movement of atoms and molecules in a
substance. Heat increases when these particles move faster. Geothermal energy is the thermal
energy in the earth (EIA, 2020).

7. Motion energy is energy stored in the movement of objects. The faster they move, the more energy is
stored. It takes energy to get an object moving, and energy is released when an object slows down.
Wind is an example of motion energy. A dramatic example of motion energy is a car crash—a car
comes to a total stop and releases all of its motion energy at once in an uncontrolled instant (EIA,
2020).

8. Sound is the movement of energy through substances in longitudinal (compression/rarefaction)

waves. Sound is produced when a force causes an object or substance to vibrate. The energy is
transferred through the substance in a wave. Typically, the energy in sound is smaller than in other
forms of energy (EIA, 2020)

9. Electrical energy is delivered by tiny charged particles called electrons, typically moving through a
wire. Lightning is an example of electrical energy in nature (EIA, 2020)

The transformation of energy from one form into other is happening all the time. The chemical energy
in food is converted into thermal energy through metabolism; light energy is converted into chemical energy
through photosynthesis. In a larger example, the chemical energy contained in coal is converted into thermal
energy as it burns to turn water into steam in a boiler. This thermal energy in the steam in turn is converted to
mechanical energy as it spins a turbine, which is connected to a generator to produce electrical energy
(OpenStax, 2013).

Another example of energy conversion occurs in a solar cell. Sunlight impinging on a solar cell
produces electricity, which in turn can be used to run an electric motor. Energy is converted from the primary
source of solar energy into electrical energy and then into mechanical energy (OpenStax, 2013).

Figure 1.1 Solar powered irrigation system situated at PSU-Sta.Maria Demo Farm

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Study Guide in NPS 102 – CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS Module No. 1

Energy is an important ingredient in all phases of society. We live in a very interdependent world, and
access to adequate and reliable energy resources is crucial for economic growth and for maintaining the
quality of our lives. But current levels of energy consumption and production are not sustainable. About 40 %
of the world’s energy comes from oil, and much of that goes to transportation uses. Oil prices are dependent
as much upon new (or foreseen) discoveries as they are upon political events and situations around the world.
The U.S., with 4.5% of the world’s population, consumes 24 % of the world’s oil production per year; 66 % of
that oil is imported (OpenStax, 2013)

Global energy demand is set to increase by 4.6 % in 2021, more than offsetting the 4 % contraction in
2020 and pushing demand 0.5 % above 2019 levels. Almost 70 % of the projected increase in global energy
demand is in emerging markets and developing economies, where demand is set to rise to 3.4% above 2019
levels. Energy use in advanced economies is on course to be 3 % below pre-Covid levels (IEA, 2021).

According to The Conversation Media (2021), the surge in demand is being driven mostly by
recovering economies and anticipated extreme weather across Europe and north-east Asia. Governments
around the world are trying to limit the impact on consumers, but acknowledge they may not be able to
prevent bills spiking.

LEARNING ACTIVITY 1

Let’s do this!
a. Solve the following problems regarding energy transformation and conservation.
1. A 2500-kg tractor going 30 m/s applies its brakes and skids to rest. If the friction force between
the sliding tires and the pavement is 6500 N, how far does the car skid before coming to rest?
2. A water pump lifts water from a small farm reservoir to a large tank 15 m above the SFR. How
much work against gravity does the pump do as it transfers 4.5 m 3 of water to the tank? One
cumecs of water has a mass of 1000 kg.
3. The coefficient of sliding friction between a 600-kg pedestrian tractror and the pavement is 0.75. If
the pedestrian tractor is moving at 25 m/s along level pavement when it begins to skid to a stop,
how far will it go before stopping?
4. The operator of a 3000-kg Rice combine harvester notices the harvester slows from 20 m/s to 15
m/s as it coasts a distance of 130 m along level ground. How large a force opposes the motion?
5. Compute the power output of a machine that lifts a 600-kg crate through a height of 20.0 m in a
time of 60 seconds.
6. Water flows from a reservoir at the rate of 3000 kg/min, to a turbine 120 m below. If the efficiency
of the turbine is 80 percent, compute the horsepower output of the turbine. Neglect friction in the
pipe and the small KE of the water leaving the turbine.
7. A 500-kg pedestrian tractor whose motor delivers a maximum power of 15.0 hp to its wheels can
maintain a steady speed of 70 km/h on a horizontal roadway. How large is the friction force that
impedes its motion at this speed?
8. Calculate the average horse power required to raise a 150-kg drum to a height of 15 m in a time
of 1.0 minute.

b. Watch a video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmYbupS4u-ku concerning a system or process

on how a form of energy transforms into another form.

SUMMARY

Chemistry has wide range of application in engineering profession. Studying of such is essential as it is part of the
backbone of engineering activities, and one of this is the knowledge about energy, its sources, uses, transformation and
conservation.

The generation of energy is not just like mine and use, it has a long process that an engineer should keep in mind
with consideration on the availability of supply. Shifting of conventional energy to renewable is very aggressive and it is
now the challenge to the next generation engineers on how to mitigate the diminishing supply of mined energy and fast
track the shift of using renewable energy.

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Study Guide in NPS 102 – CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS Module No. 1

REFERENCES

Bueche, Frederick and Eugene Hecht. 1997. Schaum’s Outline of Theory and Problems of College Physics,
9th Edition. McGraw-Hill, United States of America.

OpenStax College. 2013. College Physics. OpenStax College, Rice University, 6100 Main Street MS-380, Houston,
Texas 77005

U.S. Energy Information Adminitration. 2020. Forms of Energy.

URL:https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/what-is-energy/forms-of-energy.php

International Energy Agency. 2021. Global Energy Review 2021. URL:https://www.iea.org/reports/global-

energy-review-2021

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