75 Energy Resources-High

Energy Resources Written by David Dreier

《能源》大卫·德雷尔著

Introduction Prehistoric people consumed very little energy. They didn't have computers, TVs, or cars. The first type of energy people discovered how to control was fire. They began to use fire's energy for light, warmth, and cooking. Today, people use vast amounts of many types of energy. Energy is the ability to do work or to move something. We use energy to make and operate the products that we use each day. Our energy needs are far greater today than ever before, and they are still growing. In order to meet these demands, we constantly seek new sources of energy. This book looks at some of the important energy resources of the past, present, and future. Each resource has its benefits, but each has drawbacks as well. As you read, examine the different types of energy resources in the charts to compare the costs and the pros and cons.

史前人类消耗的能量很少。 他们没有电脑、电视或汽车。 人们发现的第一种可以控制的能源是火。 他们开始利用火的能量来照明、取暖和做饭。 今天，人们大量使用多种能源。 能量是做功或移动某物的能力。 我们使用能源来制造和操作我们每天使用的产品。 今天我们的能源需求比以往任何时候都要大得多，而且还在增长。 为了满足这些需求，我们不断寻求新的能源。 这本书着眼于过去、现在和未来的一些重要能源。 每种资源都有其优点，但也都有缺点。 阅读时，请检查图表中不同类型的能源，比较成本和利弊。

Electrical Energy In order to understand energy and energy resources, it is important to know that energy can change from one form to another. For example, light can change to heat, and heat and light can be used to produce electricity. Electricity can be changed to many other kinds of energy, including heat, light, sound, and motion. In fact, electricity is our most important form of energy. Take a moment to think of all the ways you have used electricity today: As you read about the different energy sources we depend on, you will learn that most of them are used to make electricity.

为了理解能量和能源，重要的是要知道能量可以从一种形式转变为另一种形式。 例如，光可以转化为热，热和光可以用来发电。 电可以转化为许多其他种类的能量，包括热、光、声和运动。 事实上，电是我们最重要的能源形式。 花点时间想想你今天用电的所有方式:当你读到我们依赖的不同能源时，你会知道它们大多数都是用来发电的。

Generators Think of electricity as a flow of tiny particles called electrons. All matter is made of atoms. Each atom contains electrons that whirl around the center of the atom, called the nucleus. Most of the electricity we use is made by large generators. These complex machines have two main parts: magnets and large coils of wire. In a generator, magnetic energy makes electrons flow through coils of wire. This flow creates a current of electricity. A generator will produce electricity if magnets spin inside coils of wire, or if coils of wire spin between magnets.

把电想象成一种叫做电子的微小粒子的流动。 一切物质都是由原子构成的。 每个原子都含有围绕原子核旋转的电子。 我们使用的大部分电力是由大型发电机产生的。 这些复杂的机器有两个主要部分:磁铁和大线圈。 在发电机中，磁能使电子在线圈中流动。 这种流动产生了电流。 如果磁铁在线圈内旋转，或者线圈在磁铁之间旋转，发电机就会发电。

So what makes the magnets or wire coils spin? In most electrical power plants, a source of energy is used to boil water to produce high-pressure steam. The steam is forced against a windmill- like device called a turbine. The steam makes the turbine spin. The turbine is attached to the magnets or wire coils, so they spin when the turbine spins. As they spin, they make the electrons flow in the wire, which creates electricity.

那么是什么让磁铁或线圈旋转呢? 在大多数发电厂，一种能源被用来烧水以产生高压蒸汽。 蒸汽被压在一个叫做涡轮的风车状装置上。 蒸汽使涡轮机旋转。 涡轮机与磁铁或线圈相连，所以它们在涡轮机旋转时也会旋转。 当它们旋转时，它们使电子在电线中流动，从而产生电力。

We use many sources of energy to power our generators, to fuel transportation, and to keep all of our power-hungry gadgets working. These energy sources can be classified as either nonrenewable or renewable. Nonrenewable resources are fuels such as oil that, once used, cannot be replaced on a human timescale. Renewable resources, which include energy from the Sun and wind, never run out.

我们使用多种能源为发电机供电，为运输提供燃料，并保持我们所有耗电的小工具正常工作。 这些能源可以分为不可再生能源和可再生能源。 不可再生资源是指石油等燃料，一旦使用，在人类的时间尺度上就无法替代。 可再生资源，包括太阳能和风能，永远不会枯竭。