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Since energy in an isolated system is not destroyed or created or generated, one might wonder why we need to be concerned about our energy resources, since energy is a conserved quantity. The problem is that the final result of most energy transformations is waste heat transfer to the environment and conversion to energy forms no longer useful for doing work. To state it in another way, the potential for energy to produce useful work has been “degraded” in the energy transformation. (This will be discussed in more detail in Thermodynamics .)

Section summary

  • The relative use of different fuels to provide energy has changed over the years, but fuel use is currently dominated by oil, although natural gas and solar contributions are increasing.
  • Although non-renewable sources dominate, some countries meet a sizeable percentage of their electricity needs from renewable resources.
  • The United States obtains only about 10% of its energy from renewable sources, mostly hydroelectric power.
  • Economic well-being is dependent upon energy use, and in most countries higher standards of living, as measured by GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita, are matched by higher levels of energy consumption per capita.
  • Even though, in accordance with the law of conservation of energy, energy can never be created or destroyed, energy that can be used to do work is always partly converted to less useful forms, such as waste heat to the environment, in all of our uses of energy for practical purposes.

Conceptual questions

What is the difference between energy conservation and the law of conservation of energy? Give some examples of each.

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If the efficiency of a coal-fired electrical generating plant is 35%, then what do we mean when we say that energy is a conserved quantity?

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Problems&Exercises

Integrated Concepts

(a) Calculate the force the woman in [link] exerts to do a push-up at constant speed, taking all data to be known to three digits. (b) How much work does she do if her center of mass rises 0.240 m? (c) What is her useful power output if she does 25 push-ups in 1 min? (Should work done lowering her body be included? See the discussion of useful work in Work, Energy, and Power in Humans .

A woman is doing push-ups. Her weight w is acting on her center of gravity , shown by a vector pointing downwards. Her center of gravity  is zero point nine zero meters from her feet and reaction force F acting on her arms is shown by the vector pointing upward along her arms. The distance of reaction force from the feet is one point five zero meters.
Forces involved in doing push-ups. The woman’s weight acts as a force exerted downward on her center of gravity (CG).

(a) 294 N

(b) 118 J

(c) 49.0 W

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Integrated Concepts

A 75.0-kg cross-country skier is climbing a 3 . size 12{3 "." 0°} {} slope at a constant speed of 2.00 m/s and encounters air resistance of 25.0 N. Find his power output for work done against the gravitational force and air resistance. (b) What average force does he exert backward on the snow to accomplish this? (c) If he continues to exert this force and to experience the same air resistance when he reaches a level area, how long will it take him to reach a velocity of 10.0 m/s?

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Integrated Concepts

The 70.0-kg swimmer in [link] starts a race with an initial velocity of 1.25 m/s and exerts an average force of 80.0 N backward with his arms during each 1.80 m long stroke. (a) What is his initial acceleration if water resistance is 45.0 N? (b) What is the subsequent average resistance force from the water during the 5.00 s it takes him to reach his top velocity of 2.50 m/s? (c) Discuss whether water resistance seems to increase linearly with velocity.

(a) 0.500 m /s 2 size 12{0 "." "500"" m/s" rSup { size 8{2} } } {}

(b) 62.5 N

(c) Assuming the acceleration of the swimmer decreases linearly with time over the 5.00 s interval, the frictional force must therefore be increasing linearly with time, since f = F ma size 12{f=F - ital "ma"} {} . If the acceleration decreases linearly with time, the velocity will contain a term dependent on time squared ( t 2 size 12{t rSup { size 8{2} } } {} ). Therefore, the water resistance will not depend linearly on the velocity.

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Questions & Answers

it is the relatively stable flow of income
Chidubem Reply
what is circular flow of income
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branches of macroeconomics
SHEDRACK Reply
what is Flexible exchang rate?
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is gdp a reliable measurement of wealth
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introduction to econometrics
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Tom
Why is unemployment rate never zero at full employment?
Priyanka Reply
bcoz of existence of frictional unemployment in our economy.
Umashankar
what is flexible exchang rate?
poudel
due to existence of the pple with disabilities
Abdulraufu
the demand of a good rises, causing the demand for another good to fall
Rushawn Reply
is it possible to leave every good at the same level
Joseph
I don't think so. because check it, if the demand for chicken increases, people will no longer consume fish like they used to causing a fall in the demand for fish
Anuolu
is not really possible to let the value of a goods to be same at the same time.....
Salome
Suppose the inflation rate is 6%, does it mean that all the goods you purchase will cost 6% more than previous year? Provide with reasoning.
Geetha Reply
Not necessarily. To measure the inflation rate economists normally use an averaged price index of a basket of certain goods. So if you purchase goods included in the basket, you will notice that you pay 6% more, otherwise not necessarily.
Waeth
discus major problems of macroeconomics
Alii Reply
what is the problem of macroeconomics
Yoal
Economic growth Stable prices and low unemployment
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what is inflation
Getu
increase in general price levels
WEETO
Good day How do I calculate this question: C= 100+5yd G= 2000 T= 2000 I(planned)=200. Suppose the actual output is 3000. What is the level of planned expenditures at this level of output?
Chisomo Reply
how to calculate actual output?
Chisomo
how to calculate the equilibrium income
Beshir
Criteria for determining money supply
Thapase Reply
who we can define macroeconomics in one line
Muhammad
Aggregate demand
Mohammed
C=k100 +9y and i=k50.calculate the equilibrium level of output
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A unit of account is something that can be used to value goods and services and make calculations
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Muhammad
I want to know how can we define macroeconomics in one line
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it must be .9 or 0.9 no Mpc is greater than 1 Y=100+.9Y+50 Y-.9Y=150 0.1Y/0.1=150/0.1 Y=1500
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hi can someone help me on this question If a negative shocks shifts the IS curve to the left, what type of policy do you suggest so as to stabilize the level of output? discuss your answer using appropriate graph.
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if interest rate is increased this will will reduce the level of income shifting the curve to the left ◀️
Kalombe
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Source:  OpenStax, College physics. OpenStax CNX. Jul 27, 2015 Download for free at http://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11406/1.9
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