How is the chemical energy in fuel converted to electrical energy in a power station?

Chemical energy contained in the fossil fuels undergo combustion which is an exothermic reaction and heat is evolved. That heat is used to boil water and the resultant steam is used to rotate a wheel which is connected to the axle of an electric generator. This way, electric power is generated from fossil fuels.

What is a way of converting chemical energy into electrical energy?

You use a galvanic cell to convert chemical energy into electrical energy. As the chemical reactions occur in the internal circuit, electrons carry electrical energy through a wire in the external circuit. Thus, a galvanic cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy.

What kind of energy transformation takes place at thermal power station?

In a thermal power station, heat energy is converted into electrical energy.

Which energy conversion process occurs whenever coal is burned at a power station?

When coal is burned, chemical potential energy is transformed into thermal energy, light energy, and sound energy. Only the thermal energy is used for electricity production.

How does an electric power plant convert chemical energy into electrical energy?

A power plant’s job is to release this chemical energy as heat, use the heat to drive a spinning machine called a turbine, and then use the turbine to power a generator (electricity making machine).

How is the energy stored in coal transferred into electrical energy?

Coal-fired plants produce electricity by burning coal in a boiler to produce steam. The steam produced, under tremendous pressure, flows into a turbine, which spins a generator to create electricity.

What converts chemical potential energy to electrical energy?

A Galvanic cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy. An electrolytic cell converts electrical energy into chemical energy. Here, the redox reaction is spontaneous and is responsible for the production of electrical energy.

What kind of energy transformation takes place in electric bulb?

In the case of an electric bulb, the electrical energy is converted to light and heat. The amount of electrical energy put into a bulb = the amount of light energy (desirable form) plus the heat energy that comes out of the bulb (undesirable form).

What kind of energy transformation takes place in?

Detailed Solution

What is released during every energy conversion?

Most of the time, chemical energy is released in the form of heat, and this transformation from chemical energy to heat, or thermal energy, is called an exothermic reaction. Next, there are two main types of mechanical energy: kinetic energy and potential energy.

What energy transformations take place in a power plant?

Three mutual conversions of energy forms occur at nuclear power plants: nuclear energy is converted into thermal energy, thermal energy is converted into mechanical energy, and mechanical energy is converted into electric energy.

How is thermal energy converted from chemical energy to thermal energy?

During conversions from chemical energy to thermal energy, the energy stored in the chemical bonds are released and this energy causes surrounding molecules to move faster thus increasing the thermal energy of a substance. 1. Coal is burned at a power plant.

Can energy be converted from one form to another?

Energy Conversion. There are numerous forms of energy like thermal energy, electrical energy, nuclear energy, electromagnetic energy, mechanical energy, chemical energy, sound energy etc. According to the law of conservation of energy, energy is always conserved in the universe and can only be converted from one form to another.

How is energy converted from coal to steam?

The answer is from a series of energy conversions. First, chemical energy stored in coal or fossil fuels is released by burning it. The chemical energy is converted to heat energy and light energy. The heat energy is transferred to water, which boils to create steam.

What are the sets of energy transformation inside a coal-fired power plant?

The sets of energy transformation inside a coal-fired power plant are given in the points below. During the process of combustion, the chemical energy in the coal gets converted into thermal energy. Then through the heat exchanger, the thermal energy of the exhaust gases gets converted into thermal energy of steam.