Electric Power: Different Sources Of Electricity

Electricity comes from many sources. Some of the sources, such as fossil fuels, are disappearing because there is such a big demand for them. Scientists are researching new ways of generating electricity, so that if fossil fuels run out, there will be other sources. None of these alternative sources is ideal, but they all have their pros and cons. Here are some of the most popular sources of electricity

Non-renewable sources of energy can be divided into two types: fossil fuels and nuclear fuel.

Fossil fuels

Sources of electricity include fossil fuels are found within the rocks of the Earth’s surface. They are called fossil fuels because they are thought to have been formed many millions of years ago by geological processes acting on dead animals and plants, just like fossils.

Coal, oil and natural gas are fossil fuels. Because they took millions of years to form, once they are used up they cannot be replaced.

Oil and natural gas

Sources of electricity include oil and gas are chemicals made from molecules containing just carbon and hydrogen. All living things are made of complex molecules of long strings of carbon atoms. Connected to these carbon atoms are others such as hydrogen and oxygen. A simple molecule, called methane (CH4), is the main component of natural gas.

Crude oil (oil obtained from the ground) is a sticky, gooey black stuff. It contains many different molecules, but all are made of carbon and hydrogen atoms.

Advantages

These sources of energy are relatively cheap and most are easy to get and can be used to generate electricity.

Disadvantages

When these fuels are burned they produce the gas carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas and is a major contributor to global warming. Transporting oil around the world can produce oil slicks, pollute beaches and harm wildlife.

Download Earth4Energy gives you lots of information which you can’t cover in this article and moreover you can also visit www.earth4energybonus.blogspot.com