Can electromagnetism be considered an energy source?

Answer 1

Sunlight, yes, but not in general. The electromagnetic field *has* energy, but it must be created from something that occurs naturally. Only natural forms of energy like coal, uranium, or wind are defined as "sources". Sunlight is a natural form of electromagnetic energy that can be converted to heat or electricity of human use, so it *is* an energy source.

Answer 2

Electromagnetism is a force. Forces do not produce energy, they merely allow it to be transformed from one type of energy into another. For example, you can drop a ball and then use gravity to transfer potential energy into kinetic energy and then into thermal energy, sound energy, etc. when the ball hits the ground.

Just like you can't use gravity to make energy -- you need energy to lift up the ball and it gives the same amount of energy back when it falls back to Earth -- you can't make energy from the present of an electromagnetic field.

Now, in some cases, you can make use of natural processes which create potential energy. For example, you can dam a river and make energy from falling water. Gravity didn't create energy -- the sun produced the energy, which evaporated the sea water, which falls on the land, and then helps run your dam. In this case, gravity just converts potential energy into kinetic energy.

Presumably, if you could find a natural process which moved something through an electromagnetic field you could use the electromagnetic field to convert that potential energy into some other form of energy. For example, if you could run a cable to the moon, so that its orbit moved through the electromagnetic field of the Earth, it would induce an electric current through the cable. For electromagnetic field of the
Earth would convert some of the moon's kinetic energy into kinetic energy of electrons through the wire.

Of course, there aren't any known natural processes which would otherwise move cables through the Earth's magnetic field. And the field is pretty weak.

Answer 3

There are different components of potential yet our civilisation is addicted to sniffing fossil fuels. we've the recommendations waiting, however the persons who rule the international are nevertheless busy guffawing all a thank you to the financial company, and wager what? that is an prolonged walk.

Answer 4

Yes.