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Energy resources are two types:
- Conventional sources
- Non-conventional sources
Conventional sources of energy include fossil fuels, thermal energy and hydroelectric energy.
Fossil Fuels
It includes fuels which are most commonly used such as wood, coal and petroleum. These fossil fuels are non-renewable sources of energy. Therefore we need to conserve them.
Wood
It is a major source of energy for man as it is widely used for cooking and heating
It is a primary fuel which can be used directly to produce heat
Disadvantages
A major portion of heat produced by burning wood is lost to the surroundings and only 8% of the total heat is actually used for cooking food leading to huge wastage of fuel
It produces a lot of smoke due to incomplete combustion leading to pollution and health hazards
Coal
Coal varies in quality according to the amount of pressure and heat to which it is subjected to during its formation
It consists largely of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and a small amount of sulphur and nitrogen
It is formed in layers called seams and takes millions of years to be formed
Disadvantages
The oxides of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur are released on burning coal and petroleum which are acidic oxides. Thus, they lead to acid rain which affects our water and soil resources
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