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Chapter 6: Problem 11

What is the only form of significant electricity production in the U.S. that does not involve a spinning shaft?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Question: Identify a method of electricity production in the United States that does not involve a spinning shaft. Answer: Photovoltaic solar energy.

Step by step solution

01

Identify types of electricity production with spinning shafts

First, let us list some common modes of electricity generation in the U.S. that involves a spinning shaft. These are: - Fossil fuel-burning plants (coal, oil, and natural gas) - Hydroelectric dams - Wind turbines - Nuclear power plants In all of these methods, a spinning shaft is involved to generate electricity through the rotation of turbines.
02

Identify a method that does not involve a spinning shaft

Now, let us identify the form of significant electricity production in the U.S. that does not require a spinning shaft. This method is: - Photovoltaic solar energy
03

Explain the principle of photovoltaic solar energy

Photovoltaic solar panels capture sunlight and convert it directly into electricity, without requiring any moving parts or spinning shafts. In contrast to traditional methods of electricity generation that rely on rotating turbines, photovoltaic cells generate electricity through the photovoltaic effect, which is a process that creates an electric current when solar cells absorb photons from sunlight.
04

Conclusion

In conclusion, the only form of significant electricity production in the U.S. that does not involve a spinning shaft is photovoltaic solar energy. This method directly converts sunlight into electricity without requiring any moving parts, such as spinning shafts or turbines, which are present in most other methods of electricity generation.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

In a house achieving a heat loss rate of \(200 \mathrm{~W} /{ }^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) equipped a \(5,000 \mathrm{~W}\) heater, what will the internal temperature be if the outside temperature is \(-10^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) and the heater is running \(100 \%\) of the time?

Provide at least one example not listed in the text in which heat flows into some other form of energy. \(^{66}\) In the text, we mentioned hot air over a car, wind, internal combustion, and a steam turbine plant.

You score this massive \(1 \mathrm{~kg}\) burrito but decide to put it in the refrigerator to eat later. It comes out at \(5^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\), and you want to heat it in the microwave up to \(75^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) before eating it. If the microwave puts energy into the burrito at a rate of \(700 \mathrm{~W} .^{61}\) How long should you run the microwave for a high-water- content burrito having an effective specific heat capacity of \(3,000 \mathrm{~J} / \mathrm{kg} /{ }^{\circ} \mathrm{C} ?\)

Let's say you come home from a winter vacation to find your house at \(5^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) and you want to heat it to \(20^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\). Let's say the house contains: \(500 \mathrm{~kg}\) of air; \(^{62} 1,000 \mathrm{~kg}\) of furniture, books, and other possessions; plus walls and ceiling and floor that amount to \(6,000 \mathrm{~kg}\) of effective \(^{63}\) mass. Using the catch-all specific heat capacity for all of this stuff, how much energy will it take, and how long to heat it up at a rate of \(10 \mathrm{~kW}\) ? Express in useful, intuitive units, and feel free to round, since it's an estimate, anyway.

How many Joules does it take to heat your body up by \(1^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) if your (water-dominated) mass has a specific heat capacity of \(3,500 \mathrm{~J} / \mathrm{kg} /{ }^{\circ} \mathrm{C} ?\)
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