CBSE Class 10 English 2024: question 1

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(1) Fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas) are our most traditional sources for power generation. The energy that's produced from any source other than fossil fuels is termed as alternative energy. Between the two sources, using alternative energy has a lower environmental impact.

(2) We now know that alternative energy sources are the sources we use to supplement or even replace traditional energy sources used for power generation. You could almost say the same thing about renewable energy sources. But there is one subtle difference between the two. All renewable energy sources fall under the category of alternative energy sources, but it doesn't work the other way around.

(3) That's because renewable energy sources are derived from naturally replenished sources or processes of Earth, such as the sun, wind, and water. We refer to these resources as renewable or sustainable since, unlike fossil fuels, this naturally occurring continual renewal makes them inexhaustible. However, alternative energy sources are exhaustible, and therefore not renewable. That's the difference !

(4) The equipment necessary to harness energy from alternative sources used to be so expensive that it wasn't practical for consumer use. However, thanks to increased demand, more experienced energy developers, competitive supply chains, improved renewable technologies, and enhanced energy efficiency capabilities, that's no longer the case.

(5) When it comes to energy efficiency, the leader of the renewable energy pack is wind energy. Behind wind comes geothermal energy, hydropower, nuclear energy, and then solar power. Wind power serves both individuals and entire communities. It is versatile, and can be produced from small-scale windmills or wind turbines on residential properties. It can also be produced from large-scale offshore wind farms in the ocean.

(6) We generate geothermal power by tapping into underground reservoirs of hot water and steam. Geothermal electricity can directly heat and cool buildings. Generated from the energy of moving water, hydroelectricity (also known as hydropower) is produced when water behind a dam causes turbine blades to move as it flows through an intake. The turbine blades then rotate a generator to produce electricity that is sent to power homes.

(7) Nuclear energy is created in the form of heat through the fission process of atoms. The initial fission process creates energy and triggers a chain reaction that repeats the process and generates more energy. In nuclear power plants, the heat that fission produces creates steam. The steam then rotates a turbine, which leads to the production of electricity.

(8) Solar power most commonly refers to the use of solar cells to create energy. On a small scale, you may see a few solar panels on a house roof used to produce energy for just that one home. On a larger scale, you may see a solar farm used as a power plant to produce electricity for its consumers.

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