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A coal-fired power plant may produce 1000 megawatts of useful electric power while consuming chemical energy at a rate of about 2500 megawatts. At what rate is heat transferred to the surroundings as waste?
A1000 MW
B2500 MW
C1500 MW
D3500 MW
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. 1500 MW
1. By conservation of energy, the rate of chemical energy consumed must equal the rate of useful electric power produced plus the rate of waste heat released.
2. Substituting the given rates, 2500 MW consumed equals 1000 MW of electricity plus the waste heat rate.
3. Solving for the waste heat rate, 2500 MW minus 1000 MW gives 1500 MW.
4. 3500 MW would come from adding the two given rates instead of subtracting, and 1000 MW and 2500 MW are simply the two given rates repeated rather than the waste heat difference between them.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 7 "Work, Energy, and Energy Resources", section 7.7 Power_
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