subject: Sources Of Heat And Light [print this page] Heat that we obtain from the Sun is the driving force of all life on Earth. The science of heat and its relationship with work is termed as thermodynamics. Heat can flow in many ways. In physics and thermodynamics, heat is the process of transfer of energy from one body or system to another by thermal contact.
Heat - Source
The main sources of heat are:
Sun or solar energy.
By burning of fuels such as coal, charcoal, wood, kerosene, petrol, etc.
Electricity is also a source of heat energy
Solar Energy: The available form of natural heat energy is from the sun also termed as solar energy. Sky lights use heat energy from the sun. Solar panels convert solar energy to electricity for heating homes and water. For some large scale solar usage, mirrors are there to amplify the natural heat energy of the sun for performing mechanical operations.
Geothermal Power: Geothermal heat energy is available inside the earth. The most popular of geothermal power are steam energy and hot water sources. Geothermal power plants are using steam energy or hot water to convert it into electricity. Geothermal heat energy is renewable and has very less environmental impact.
Coal: Coal is the most widely used and least renewable source of natural heat energy. Coal is a carbon-based sedimentary rock which takes millions of years to form underground the earth. When plants and animals die, sediment formed in layers that are miles deep. The heat and pressure from those layers turns the carbon into coal.
Light - Source
Light is electromagnetic radiation of a wavelength which is visible to the human eye. In physics, electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength, whether visible or not is termed as light. Five main properties of light are intensity, frequency or wavelength, polarization, phase and orbital angular momentum.
Light, existing in tiny "packets" called photons, possess properties of both waves and particles. This property is termed as the waveparticle duality. The study of light is termed as optics.
Light sources:
There are many sources of light.The most common light sources are
