1.3 Energy Generation Flashcards
What are the two types of sources of energy?
Renewable and non renewable
What are non renewable energy sources? Give 3 examples.
Non renewable energy sources are finite and once used up, cannot be replenished quickly.
- oil
- gas
- coal
What are the common advantages of using non renewable energy sources to generate electricity?
- stable
- allows large scale production
- relatively cheap
What are the common disadvantages of using non renewable energy sources to generate electricity?
- Pollution
- Dangerous
What is renewable energy? Give 6 examples.
Renewable energy sources are infinite and will not run out.
- Biomass
- wind
- solar
- Biodiesel
- tidal
- hydro
What is biomass?
The burning of organic matter such as wood, crops, rubbish, etc.
Advantage of biomass?
Waste from plants and farming can be used
Disadvantage of biomass?
Emits harmful fumes that contribute to global warming.
Large are needed for crops
What is biodiesel?
Made from natural elements like plants, vegetables and cooking oil and can be used in diesel powered vehicles.
What are the advantages of biodiesel?
- uses waste from plants n farming
- doesn’t emit dangerous gases
Disadvantage of biodiesel?
- large area needed for farming
What is tidal?
Turbines generate electricity from the movement of tidal water
Advantages of tidal?
- no emissions
- powerful
- tides are predictable and stable
Disadvantages of tidal
- relatively lower energy output
- expensive to set up
- only available in costal areas
What is wind energy?
Propeller blades spin a shaft to generate electricity.
Advantages of wind
Free
No emissions
Disadvantages of wind
Not reliable
Expensive
Not aesthetically appealing
What is solar energy?
Solar panels convert sunlight into electricity by heating up water that turns into steam to spin the generator.
Advantages of solar
Reliable in warm countries
Home can have their own
Low maintenance costs
Disadvantages of solar
Expensive to set up
Depends on geographical location
Sun doesn’t shine all day
What is hydroelectricity?
A dam traps water in a river and use this to turn turbines that generate electricity
Advantage of hydroelectricity
Large amount of power for a low cost
Disadvantages of hydroelectricity
Expensive to set up
Construction of dam may damage environment
What are the factors to consider when choosing an energy source?
- profitability of source
- environmental impact
- power output
-cost
