Ten interesting things about energy

By NASA.gov, adapted by Newsela staff on 02.17.17

Word Count 980
Level 640L

Water rushes through a dam in Georgia. Inside the dam is a hydropower plant. It uses the water's energy to produce electricity. Photo by:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Energy is the ability to do work. Another word for energy is "power." It is what makes things move,
work and grow.

Energy powers the lights in our schools and homes. It is also fuel for our cars and buses.

Most of our energy comes from materials in the earth, such as coal and oil. These are
nonrenewable sources of energy. This means once we use all of them, they are gone forever.

Today, we are learning more about renewable energy. Wind, water and sunlight are examples of
renewable energy sources. If we can use these sources to power our lives, we will always have
energy.

Here are 10 fascinating facts about energy.

Always Turn Off lights When You Leave The Room

You should always turn off the light when you leave a room. It saves energy.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

However, this is not true for special light bulbs called CFLs. Turning these bulbs on and off too
many times shortens their lifespans. You should turn them off only if you'll be gone for 15 minutes
or more. If you'll be right back, you can leave them on.

Coal Is King, But Not Everywhere

In the United States, coal makes almost half of our electricity.

First, coal is burned in a power plant. The heat makes steam. Then, this steam moves a turbine
and generates electricity.

Burning coal is harmful to the planet. Coal plants

make a gas called carbon dioxide. It is one of the main
causes of global warming.

Global warming is the rise of Earth's temperature.

This changes our planet forever. One example is
making sea levels rise. Global warming is harmful to
animals, plants and people, too.

Not all U.S. states depend on coal. It differs from state

to state. Almost all electricity in West Virginia is
generated from coal. But almost none of the electricity in California is generated from coal.

Daylight Saving Time Is Good For The Planet

In many places, people move the time on their clocks forward one hour every spring. This is called
daylight saving time. It moves an hour of daylight to the end of the day. When the day is longer,
people use less artificial light. This saves energy.

Scientists did the math one year. Daylight saving time saved enough electricity to power 100,000
houses for a year.

Every State Uses Hydropower For Electricity

Rivers are powerful. Their flowing water can be used to make electricity.

Today, every state uses hydropower, which is electricity from the flow of water. More than half of
the electricity in Washington state comes from hydropower.

The United States Is A World Leader In Wind

Using the wind for energy started thousands of years ago. People used windmills back then. Today,
wind power is made from big wind turbines. Some of these turbines are hundreds of feet tall. They
can have as many as 8,000 parts.

The United States uses wind to make lots of electricity. So do other countries, such as China,
Germany and Spain.

The First Solar-Powered Satellite Is Still In Orbit

The sun provides a great amount of energy on Earth. Every day, it hits us with 10,000 times the
total amount of energy used across the world. That means the sun is a powerful source of energy.

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Solar power is another way to generate electricity.

The U.S. space program has used solar power since

the 1960s. The first spacecraft that used the sun's
energy is called Vanguard 1. Its flight was powered by
the sun. This spacecraft is still in orbit today.

We Can Get Energy From Trash

Believe it or not, the waste we flush down the toilet

and and throw into trashcans can be reused. When
waste breaks down, it makes a gas. The gas is called
methane. With the right technology, scientists can trap that gas and use it to make electricity.

Doing this also helps the planet. Methane is a greenhouse gas. Like carbon dioxide, it is adding to
global warming. If we use methane instead of releasing it, we will keep it out of the air around
Earth. This is better for the planet.

Electric Vehicles Are Great, But Not Everywhere

Some cars run on electricity instead of gas. These cars don't let off pollution. But are they better for
the environment? It depends on how you charge them. When you charge an electric car at home,
where does that electricity come from?

Electric cars are great for the planet if their electricity

comes from renewable energy. A car charged with
electricity from coal is not as good. The car does not
pollute. But the power plant that burns the coal does.

We Need Better Batteries

In order to use renewable energy, people have to be

able to store energy. For example, we need to be able
to store power from the wind. This is so we can still
have electricity on days with no wind.

Batteries are not very good at storing energy yet.

Scientists are working to make them better. They are trying to build batteries that hold more
energy. This will let them last longer.

We Measure Energy In BTUs

Just as we might use feet or meters to talk about length, we need a unit for energy. This helps
everyone around the world understand how much energy is being discussed. Energy is measured
in BTUs. This stands for British Thermal Units. A BTU is the amount of energy needed to raise the
temperature of a pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Quiz

1 What is the MAIN idea of the section "Coal Is King, But Not Everywhere"?

(A) West Virginia only uses coal, but should switch to another energy source.

(B) Carbon dioxide is a gas made from coal, but it has to be burned first.

(C) Coal is an energy source that half the United States uses, but it hurts the planet.

(D) California uses other energy sources, but should try using coal instead.

2 Which statement would be MOST important to include in an objective summary of the article?

(A) Using more renewable sources of energy can help to protect our planet.

(B) Countries around the world are using more renewable sources of energy than the United States.

(C) Turning off lights in your house is one of the most effective ways to conserve energy and power.

(D) More companies are beginning to make electric cars that can be charged from renewable energy.

3 Read the following paragraph from the section “Daylight Saving Time Is Good For The Planet.”

In many places, people move the time on their clocks forward one hour every spring. This is
called daylight saving time. It moves an hour of daylight to the end of the day. When the day is
longer, people use less artificial light. This saves energy.

Which of the following BEST describes the structure used in this paragraph?

(A) cause and effect

(B) chronology

(C) compare and contrast

(D) description

4 How is the section “We Need Better Batteries” important to the article?

(A) It describes different sources of renewable energy.

(B) It presents a problem with renewable energy.

(C) It highlights how renewable energy is stored.

(D) It shows how to make batteries for renewable energy.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.