In wind power, which form of energy is converted into electrical energy?

Wind power is the kinetic energy of moving air. The blades of a wind turbine are pushed by moving air, which turns the rotor, and the generator converts this mechanical rotation into electricity. The power available in wind depends on air density, rotor swept area and the cube of wind speed, which is why small rises in wind speed matter a lot.

• B (Potential energy): Stored energy due to position, such as water held at a height behind a dam. This is the principle of hydroelectric plants, not wind.
• C (Solar energy): Sunlight converted into electricity by photovoltaic cells. The sun does drive wind indirectly through uneven heating of the atmosphere, but the question asks which form of energy is directly converted in a wind turbine.
• D (Radiant energy): Electromagnetic radiation, the form in which solar energy reaches the earth. It is the input for solar PV and solar thermal systems, not for wind turbines.

The core concept is the energy transformation chain in renewables: each source has a primary form of energy that the device captures. For GS-III, this links to India's renewable energy targets, the leading role of states like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu in wind capacity, and the intermittency challenge that storage and grid planning must address.

Trap: Aspirants know wind is ultimately caused by the sun and pick solar energy. Ask what the device physically captures, not what ultimately causes the phenomenon.