Essay About Jet Aircraft And Mechanical Energy

Mechanical Energy
Essay title: Mechanical Energy
Mechanical Energy
Have you ever wondered how a jet aircraft lifts its tremendous weight
off the ground, or what gives a runner the stamina to reach the finish line
in a race? In order to answer all these questions we must talk about the
transformation of one sort of energy into another.
The jet aircraft gets its power from jet turbines. These powerful jet
engines create a high©pressure stream of very hot gases that push the
aircraft forward as they leave the engine. This is an example of heat
being transformed into movement. This is sometimes described as Mechanical
Energy. However, this transformation could not take place without the fuel
that the aircraft gets within its wings or fuselage. Fuel is considered a
chemical energy.
Fuel can take the form of gases, solids or liquids. When fuels combine
with oxygen from the air, they release their stored energy as heat. We
recognize this process as burning. The individual relies on food for fuel
which contains energy©giving substances that our bodies can store until we
need this energy to use our muscles. When we do use our muscles within us,
we may not always be sure that heat is given off. Our bodies do not burst
into flames but the perspiration on our skin is a clue to what is happening.
The movement of the windsurfer has a different explanation. The
windsurfer is propelled along by a sail which collects mechanical energy
from the winds that sweep along the water. This energy has been produced
by the sun which warms the earths surface and sets the air above in motion.
The suns heat comes to the earth as a form of radiant energy. When the
heat reaches the surface of the earth, it causes the land or seas to rise
in temperature.