UNIT

3 Energy and Society

oVERAll
EXPEcTATIons
• analyze technologies that apply
principles of and concepts related
to energy transformations, and
assess the technologies’ social and
environmental impact
• investigate energy transformations
and the law of conservation of
energy, and solve related problems
• demonstrate an understanding of
work, efficiency, power, gravitational
potential energy, kinetic energy,
nuclear energy, and thermal energy
and its transfer (heat)

BIG IDEAs
• Energy can be transformed from
one type into another.
• Energy transformation systems
often involve thermal energy losses
and are never 100 % efficient.
• Although technological applications
that involve energy transformations
can affect society and the
environment in positive ways, they
can also have negative effects,
and therefore must be used
responsibly.

UNIT TASK PrEvIEw

In this Unit Task, you will be working as part of a Sustainable

Energy Commission. You will make recommendations about the
use of sustainable energy using your knowledge of energy and
society. The Unit Task is described in detail on page 360. As you
work through the unit, look for Unit Task Bookmarks to see how
information in the section relates to the Unit Task.

216 Unit 3 • Energy and Society NEL

 Focus on STSE

GREENING ENERGY USE AND PRODUCTION

Canada is one of the leading producers of energy in the world, and is also one of its biggest
users. We use energy for many purposes, including transportation, heating, cooling, indus-
trial production, and leisure. Most of the energy produced in Canada is from coal, crude oil
(including gasoline and diesel), natural gas, and radioactive elements such as uranium.
Coal, natural gas, and uranium are extracted from deposits deep within Earth’s crust.
Crude oil is either mined or purified from oil-soaked tar sands, such as those in northern
Alberta. Most of the coal and uranium mined in Canada is used to generate electricity, the
most versatile form of energy. However, when coal is used to generate electricity, gases
are released into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
We are constantly searching for cleaner and “greener” ways of producing electricity.
One promising solution is to use wind to produce electricity. Wind turbines provide an
environmentally friendlier way of generating electricity. Large groups of turbines, called
wind farms, may provide electricity for an entire community. Wind farms may be located
on land or in large bodies of water.
Ontario has the largest wind farm in Canada, the Melancthon EcoPower Centre. This
wind farm is located in Melancthon Township near Shelburne, Ontario. The Melancthon
EcoPower Centre has 133 wind turbines and generates enough electricity to provide
for over 52 000 homes. Ontario plans to construct six new wind farms by 2012 that will
provide enough electricity for another 150 000 homes. Even more wind farms are planned
for the future.
In addition to large wind farms, individual businesses and homeowners may install
single wind turbines on their property. These turbines typically produce only enough
electricity to run homes, farms, or small businesses. New wind turbine technologies are
also addressing some of the problems associated with wind turbines, including excessive
noise and danger to flying animals such as birds, bats, and butterflies.
Wind turbines are only one of many exciting technologies being designed to reduce
our reliance on coal, oil, natural gas, and uranium. Other alternative energy technologies
include solar cells, geothermal systems, tidal turbines, and biofuels. In this unit, you will
learn about energy and the technologies being developed to produce and use energy in
the most responsible ways possible.
Questions
1. Toronto Hydro is investigating the possibility of building a large wind farm 2 km
off the shore of Lake Ontario near Toronto. What social, environmental, and
technological factors should Toronto Hydro take into consideration before going
ahead with the project?

2. A family has $10 000 this year to spend on non-essentials. It could spend
the money on a second car, a family vacation, or other products or activities.
Discuss whether the family should use this money to invest in alternative energy
technology such as rooftop solar cells or a wind turbine.

NEL Focus on STSE   217

unit 3 Are you ready?

Concepts Skills
• kinematics and forces • sketching and interpreting free-body diagrams (FBDs)
• efficiency • researching and collecting information
• energy transformations • planning and conducting investigations
• thermal energy and heat • communicating scientific information clearly
• renewable and non-renewable energy resources and accurately

Concepts Review
1. (a) Calculate the displacement of a motorcycle that
accelerates forward from rest to 7.0 m/s in 3.5 s.
(b) Calculate the magnitude of the net force on a
4.5 kg mass if the mass moves straight up at
constant speed. T/I
2. Identify the forms of energy depicted in Figure 1. K/U

Figure 3

4. (a) Table 1 contains values involved in the calculation

of the efficiency of various devices. Copy Table 1
into your notebook and fill in the missing values.
Table 1
Figure 1 Electric Incandescent
Device lawnmower light bulb
3. Describe two energy changes occurring in Figure 2
and two energy changes occurring in Figure 3 (e.g., in input energy (J) 1650 80
Figure 2, the television changes electrical energy into output energy (J) 250
light energy, sound energy, and thermal energy). K/U C
efficiency (%) 5

(b) Account for the difference between the input

energy and the output energy for the electric
lawnmower in Table 1. K/U T/I
5. (a) What is the difference between thermal energy
and heat?
(b) What is the relationship between the temperature
of a drop of water and the kinetic energy of the
water molecules in the drop of water? K/U

Figure 2

218   Unit 3 • Energy and Society NEL

 6. (a) You have used the particle theory of matter to Skills Review
describe the three states of matter. Copy Table 2 into 11. A boy pulls a sleigh along a flat, snow-covered sidewalk
your notebook and complete it using the particle by tugging on a rope that makes a 45° angle with the
theory of matter. ground. K/U T/I C
Table 2 (a) Sketch a free-body diagram of this situation if the
boy pulls on the rope with a force of 7.0 N and
Relative distance Motion of Diagram of there is a force of friction of 3.0 N opposing the
State between particles particles state of matter sleigh’s motion (the sleigh has a mass of 17 kg).
solid (b) Explain what you think will happen to the speed of
liquid the sleigh if the boy pulls it for
gas (i) 20 m
(ii) 60 m
(b) Explain why both liquids and gases take the shape (c) What effect does the displacement have on the
of their containers, but solids do not. final velocity for a mass under the influence of a
(c) What happens to the particles in a substance when constant net force?
you heat it up and it starts to change state? K/U C 12. In an investigation, a student takes a 50 g ice cube from
7. (a) Explain the difference between a thermal insulator the freezer at a temperature of –6 °C and puts it in a
and a thermal conductor. cup of water at 70 °C. The mass of liquid water present
(b) Give one example of a good thermal insulator and is 50 g. The goal is to determine the final temperature
one example of a good thermal conductor. of the water in the cup, assuming there is no loss of
energy to the surroundings. K/U T/I
(c) Should a well-constructed window be made
primarily from insulators or conductors? Explain (a) What other equipment would you need to perform
your reasoning. this experiment?
(d) Give one example of a simple everyday utensil or (b) Make a prediction for the final temperature of the
device that must be constructed out of water. Explain your reasoning.
(i) only thermal conductors (c) What are some possible sources of error in this
experiment?
(ii) only thermal insulators
(d) Describe a way to reduce the error in this
(iii) both thermal insulators and thermal
experiment.
conductors K/U C
8. Describe two advantages and two disadvantages of each of
the following systems for generating electrical energy. K/U
(a) hydroelectric power plant
(b) nuclear power plant
9. (a) Draw a simple diagram of an atom. Label the
nucleus, protons, neutrons, and electrons.
(b) How do atoms and ions differ?
(c) How do atoms of different elements differ? K/U C
10. Examine a periodic table (see Appendix B at the back CAREER PATHWAYS Preview
of this book). The table is divided into rows
and columns. K/U Throughout this unit you will see Career Links in the margins.
These links mention careers that are relevant to Energy and Society.
(a) What happens to the number of electrons as you
On the Chapter Summary page at the end of each chapter you will
move from one element to the next in the same row?
find a Career Pathways feature that shows you the educational
(b) What tends to happen to the number of protons requirements of the careers. There are also some career-related
as you move from one element to the next in the questions for you to research.
same row?

NEL Are You Ready?   219