Do you know your fission from your fusion? You will have heard of Einstein's theory of relativity and his synonymous equation E=mc2, but do you really understand what they mean? With renewable energy a hot topic of conversation, arm yourself with the 50 most significant theories and developments that will allow you to contribute to any debate about this integral force in the universe.
30-Second Energy charts the fascinating and fundamental topics behind this phenomenon that resides in everywhere and in everything. Exploring energy as it is best understood – by example – discover how it cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed, and how plankton and other ocean-dwelling organisms can be used to power your car. From the nuclear fusion reactor at the heart of the sun to the elusive dark energy which makes up most of the content of the universe, each topic is summarized in just half a minute using no more than two pages, 300 words and one picture.
Author(s): Brian Clegg
Series: 30-Second
Publisher: Ivy Press
Year: 2018
Language: English
Commentary: The 50 most fundamental concepts in energy, in 30-Seconds
Pages: 162
Tags: The 50 most fundamental concepts in energy, in 30-Seconds
CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction
The Basics
GLOSSARY
What is Energy?
Heat
Kinetic Energy
Potential Energy
Profile: James Prescott Joule
Chemical Energy
Nuclear Energy
Mass Energy
Conservation of Energy
Natural Energy
GLOSSARY
Gravity
Inflation
Inside a Star
Living Things
Dark Energy
Profile: Alan Guth
Zero-point Energy
Where Did it All Come From?
Storing Energy
GLOSSARY
ATP
Coal
Oil
Fission
Fusion
Profile: Alessandro Volta
Water Storage
Fuel Cells
Batteries
Transmitting Energy
GLOSSARY
Thermal Conduction
Convection
Radiation
Profile: Heike Kamerlingh Onnes
Transporting Chemicals
Lasers
Down the Wire
Superconductors
Converting Energy
GLOSSARY
Oxidation
Burning
External Combustion
Internal Combustion
Electromagnetism
QED
Profile: Charles Algernon Parsons
Turbines
Going Green
GLOSSARY
Biofuels
Solar
Wind
Hydro
Profile: William Thomson, Lord Kelvin
Waves
Geothermal
Nuclear
Energy & Entropy
GLOSSARY
What is Entropy?
The Second Law
Increasing Disorder
The Closed System
Maxwell’s Demon
Profile: Ludwig Boltzmann
The Life Cycle of the Universe
Resources
Notes on Contributors
Index
Acknowledgements
