Some Uses of Fire
Activity: Fire in Our Lives
There are many other useful applications of fire, let's see what you know and can find out.
First; go around you house and find out what sources of energy you use for the following (i.e., do you use wood, natural gas, etc.)
- Your water heater
- Your furnance
- Your fireplace (if you have one)
- Your outdoor BBQ (if you have one)
- Any other use (except electricity - we'll do that next
Now let's look at electricity. List as many things in your home as you can find that use electricity. (It may
turn out to be more than you expected!)
Where does your electricity come from?
Go to the web and
- find out how much (or what percentage of) electricity in the United States is produced from:
- Coal
- Oil
- Natural Gas
- Other sources that do not involve burning something - find and list as many as you can
- Find out how your local electricity is produced
- Find out how the amount of energy used in the U.S. compares to other countries
HINT: Try finding and searching the U.S. Department of Energy Site
In addition, you can check to see if your teacher can arrange a tour of your local power plant.
