Final answer:
Energy interconversion is the process where energy transforms and transfers from one form to another, such as chemical energy to kinetic energy in humans and light energy to chemical energy in plants. Electrical power plants convert thermal energy to electrical energy. Some energy is always lost as heat, highlighting the inefficiency in any energy conversion process.
Step-by-step explanation:
Interconversion of Energy Forms
Energy is constantly being transformed and transferred from one form to another in various systems. For example, humans convert the chemical energy in food into kinetic energy required for activities like riding a bicycle. Similarly, plants undergo photosynthesis, transforming electromagnetic radiation (light energy) from the sun into chemical energy that is stored in glucose.
Another instance is how electrical power plants convert thermal energy from heat sources into electrical energy that powers our homes and industries.
These transformations are guided by the laws of thermodynamics, including the second law which implies that in such conversions, some energy is always lost to the surroundings as heat, indicating inefficiency in the energy conversion process.
For instance, when coal burns to produce thermal energy, which then converts to mechanical energy to turn turbines, some energy is lost as heat. Hence, not all the initial energy can be used for productive work.