greensummervillian Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 I thought some of the smart people on this board might know the answer to this. My son and I were talking about all the ways energy eventually comes from the sun. Food eventually goes back to plants, which use photosynthesis to grow. Oil comes from ancient rotted plants and animals, which lead back to the sun. Same with oil. Wind power comes from moving air, which wouldn't be the same without the sun to heat the air, causing it to move around. We wouldn't have a water cycle because the sun could not evaporate the water, so we couldn't have hydroelectric plants without the sun. Solar power...well that's obvious. What about geothermal energy and nuclear power? Are they somehow dependent on the sun in a way we haven't considered? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MIch elle Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 Your question reminded me of this book that I read awhile ago : http://www.amazon.com/Last-Hours-Ancient-Sunlight-Revised/dp/1400051576 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BakersDozen Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 oooooh, we found an amazing book at the library and ended up buying it, it is so good! It's called My Light by Molly Bang and is fabulous for explaining how all energy originates from the sun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greensummervillian Posted October 13, 2009 Author Share Posted October 13, 2009 Good link. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdeveson Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 What about geothermal energy and nuclear power? Are they somehow dependent on the sun in a way we haven't considered? Hmmm... I don't think geothermal energy comes from the sun, and obviously, nuclear power does not. Geothermal energy comes from heat inside the earth left over from its formation. Or does it? Some geothermal energy probably comes from tidal forces (from the sun, not the moon), but how much? Probably not enough to make a difference. Nuclear energy is definitely not something we get from the sun, except to the extent that everything on our planet was formed out of the leftovers of the sun when the original ball of gas collapsed and ignited. So... it comes from the sun originally, but... Very interesting conversation. I'd love to hear from others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grace'smom Posted October 13, 2009 Share Posted October 13, 2009 I asked my husband, who is an engineer for a power company, as a conversation starter. He said geothermal is also somewhat dependent on the sun because if we weren't in the sun's proximity than earth would be frozen all the way through the core. With nuclear he cannot see a clear connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greensummervillian Posted October 13, 2009 Author Share Posted October 13, 2009 Oh yeah! That's a good point by grace's dad about the earth being frozen without a sun. I'm going to let my son read these responses when he comes home from karate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.