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Multiple Choice

What is NOT true of wind energy?

Wind energy relies on the kinetic energy of moving air, not heat. Turbines capture the wind’s kinetic energy as the blades turn, driving a rotor and generator to produce electricity. Heat or thermal energy isn’t what’s being tapped, so converting thermal energy into electrical energy isn’t what wind turbines do. Wind energy is renewable because the wind is a natural, continually replenished resource driven by solar heating of the atmosphere. However, electricity from wind is variable because wind speeds fluctuate with weather and time of day, so output can rise or fall. The other statements reflect true aspects: wind energy is renewable, turbines convert kinetic energy into electrical energy, and production varies with wind.

Wind energy relies on the kinetic energy of moving air, not heat. Turbines capture the wind’s kinetic energy as the blades turn, driving a rotor and generator to produce electricity. Heat or thermal energy isn’t what’s being tapped, so converting thermal energy into electrical energy isn’t what wind turbines do. Wind energy is renewable because the wind is a natural, continually replenished resource driven by solar heating of the atmosphere. However, electricity from wind is variable because wind speeds fluctuate with weather and time of day, so output can rise or fall. The other statements reflect true aspects: wind energy is renewable, turbines convert kinetic energy into electrical energy, and production varies with wind.