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The most common way of doing that is to use heat to boil water, and then to use the steam off the boiling water to turn turbines. The turbines are then used to turn generators, and they produce electricity. (The heat becomes mechanical energy to generate the electricial energy.)
Heat is infared (IR) electromagnetic radiation. A simple and historical concept for conversion would be to use steam turbines. Although some research has been done into collecting IR energy from the Sun (and other sources) using Nanotechnology.
Thermoelectric generators turn thermal heat directly into electrical energy by heating different types of wire conductors. One type is called a Seebeck generator for its discoverer, Thomas Seebeck. The Seebeck effect is also widely used in voltage measuring devices.
Lower-power thermionic generators also produce electrical energy directly from heat energy by ionic means. Some use caesium metal vapor.
* Some forms of solar energy systems collect radiant heat from the Sun, heating water in the panels (but most use photovoltaic conversion, turning light energy into electricity).
Wiki User
∙ 7y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoNormally one would only think of converting thermal energy into electricity.
Thermal energy is heat. One burn wood, fossil fuel, garbage, converting it that way into thermal energy. This in turn to heat up water, converting water into steam. The steam will then run a turbine and make electricity.
In every step there is a loss of energy.
An electric cooker converts electricity into thermal energy, warming up food etc.
An electric heater converts electricity into thermal energy, heating up the house.
It is the friction in the wires that does the trick.
As in a lightbulb, the friction causes the tiny thread inside to heat up and glow.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_energy_storage
tells more about thermal energy, although not how to store electricity as it.
I don't think (and have never seen) there are any plans for mass converting electricity into thermal energy for later use of making electricity again.
One application that exist in most homes are a hot water tank.
These often have an electric heater attached, and we all enjoy a nice warm shower and or a hot bath. All Thermal energy at the expense of electricity.
Regards.
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoBecause electrical energy is so darn easy to use. Once you have that wall outlet available, it's never ending, clean(at the point of usage) and easy to turn from one energy form to another.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agothermocouple
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What is the energy transformation that occurs with the burning of fossil fuels?
Energy transformation involved in terms of industrial processes of burning fuel to make energy.
A light bulb converts 10 percent of the electrical energy and thermal energy it uses into radiant energymake a hypothesys about the other form of energy produced?
A lightbulb usually won't use thermal energy, only electrical energy. By conservation of energy, if 10% of the electrical energy is converted into radiant energy, the remainder is wasted - basically as heat.
When fossil fuels are burned what is energy converted into?
Thermal energy
What are the energy transfer for fossil fuel power plants?
When a fossil fuel is burned chemical energy that is stored within the fuel is released via combustion. This then turns into steam which turns turbines to form electrical energy. So Chemical to heat to mechanical to electrical
How does ocean termal energy work?
It isn't quite clear what you mean with "work". There is a lot of thermal energy in the oceans; but most of that energy can't be used - can't be converted to useful energy. To use thermal energy - to convert it to something useful - there has to be a temperature difference between different places.
Electrical energy thermal energy?
The electrical energy of thermal energy is called kinetic energy. An example of electrical energy converted to thermal energy is a toaster drawing current from an electrical outlet.
Why is chemical energy the energy that is converted to thermal energy?
Various kinds of energy may be converted into thermal energy.In a fire it is chemical energy that is converted to thermal energy.However:In a nuclear reactor, nuclear energy is first converted to thermal energy, and eventually to electrical energy.In a fire chemical energy is also converted to light energy.In a battery chemical energy is converted to electrical energy.In braking systems kinetic energy is converted to thermal energy.
When you turn on a toaster what happens to the electrical energy?
The electrical energy gets transformed into electromagnetic (light) energy and thermal (heat) energy.
Describe a case in which electrical energy is converted into thermal energy?
hair dryer, electrical energy enters the hair dryer and is converted to kinetic energy as a small motor spins a fan blade the electrical energy is converted to thermal by a grind of wires that heat up
What is the energy conversion of a dryer?
Electrical energy is converted into thermal and kinetic energy.
What is electrical energy converted to inside a toaster?
Inside a toaster, electrical energy is converted to heat (and a little bit of light) energy.
In a photocell light energy is converted into?
Electrical Energy
What electrical energy converted inside a toaster?
What is electrical energy converted to inside a toaster?A. thermal energy and lightB. nuclear energyC. chemical energyD. kinetic energy
When electrical energy is converted into thermal energy what must be true?
The total amount of thermal energy plus chemical energy changes.
Is nuclear energy thermal energy or potential?
Until converted, it is potential energy. However, to make nuclear energy domestically useful it is converted into thermal (thermodynamic) energy (heat), which, in turn, is converted into electrical energy, both of which are kinetic energy.
What kind of energy could resistance in an electrical wire be converted to?
Thermal
What kind of energy is used in a hair dryer?
Electrical energy is converted into thermal and mechanical energy
