Question

Wind turbines are being used more and more to generate electricity. In fields of hundreds of turbines, the turbines spin as wind pushes them, and the spinning motion is converted into electrical energy that can be sent to homes and businesses. However, not all of the kinetic energy of a spinning turbine gets converted into electrical energy. What best explains why the turbines are not one hundred percent efficient? The turbines are spinning outdoors, and solar energy from the Sun interferes with how machines work, causing kinetic energy to be lost to the air. Some of the energy of the wind’s motion is converted into a force by the machine, so some energy is lost to force. Since electrical energy is more useful than the kinetic energy of wind, the wind turbines are more than one hundred percent efficient. As the turbines spin, friction occurs between different parts of the machine, so some of the energy is converted into heat instead of electrical energy.

Answer 1

Wind turbines are not 100% efficient because of friction within their components, which results in energy being converted to heat instead of electricity. Other options, such as interference by solar energy or turbines being more than 100% efficient, are incorrect.

Step-by-step explanation:

Wind turbines are not one hundred percent efficient in converting the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy primarily because of friction within the turbine components. The process of energy conversion through the mechanism of wind turbines involves the rotation of blades, which are connected to a drive shaft. This shaft then turns an electric generator which produces electricity. However, the turbine's operational efficiency is reduced by energy losses to frictional forces that generate heat, rather than electricity.

This phenomenon is consistent in all energy conversion processes, where not all energy is converted into the desired form due to inherent inefficiencies such as heat dissipation. The other options provided, such as interference by solar energy or considering turbines to be more than 100 percent efficient, are incorrect. The physical principle that no real-world energy conversion system can be 100% efficient due to energy branching into multiple unintended paths, like heat and sound, explains why wind turbines can't achieve perfect efficiency.

Answer 2

As the turbines spin, friction occurs between different parts of the machine, so some of the energy is converted into heat instead of electrical energy.