Sunday, July 08, 2012

Wind- How is it Created? What Can We Use it For?



I was sitting outdoors, eating my lunch and the wind suddenly picked up and blew my lunch bag over.  It made me wonder, where does wind come from, more specifically, how is wind created?  And what can we use it for?

How is Wind Created?

An initial search came up with some fairly in depth and complicated answers.  But seeing as this blog is intended for the average person who doesn't have in depth knowledge of science, I have compiled an easy answer guide.

Essentially, wind is the rotation of hot and cold air circulating around one another.  Air is in constant motion in our universe and becomes affected by the pressure and temperature around it.  When one area is hotter than the one next to it, it creates wind.

What Can We Use Wind For?

The biggest use of wind is as an energy resource.  A lot of people consider wind as a new energy source, however many of us forget about windmills (and many other wind technologies and uses dating back to the Middle Ages).  As technology has progressed, so has our use of wind as an energy resource, including wind turbine farms.  These are entire fields dedicated to erecting wind turbines and "farming" that wind and ultimately turning that wind into energy (electricity) to use in people's homes and businesses.

Wind can aid in travel as well.  Sail boats almost exclusively rely on wind to move them, and airplanes can often use less fuel and travel faster with the help of wind.
Entertainment use of wind is often overlooked, however flying a kite would be impossible without it.

So there you have it.  Wind is simply created by the variations in pressure and temperature in the atmosphere and can be used for lots.  Being a constant renewable resource we really should start to take advantage of it more often.

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