19. Energy Resources

Question 1

What are renewable sources of energy?

Answer 1

Can be replenished by natural processes or human activity

Question 2

What are non renewable sources of energy?

Answer 2

Cannot be replenished by natural processes/human activity - only a finite amount

Question 3

What are the energy transfers involved in generating electricity using fossil fuels?

Answer 3

1. Coal oil /gas is burned -> chemical store of coal -> transferred by heating to thermal store of coal oil -> transferred by heating to thermal, kinetic store of water + light and sound radiation
2. Water turned into steam
3. Steam turns turbine -> kinetic store of water -> transferred mechanically to kinetic store of turbine generator -> transferred electrically to generator
4. Generator generates electricity

Question 4

What is biofuel?

Answer 4

Created over a short time span from biomass
Fossil fuels were created over hundreds of millions of years -> biofuels are carbon neutral because carbon released when burned is same as carbon used to create them

Question 5

What are the energy transfers involved in nuclear power?

Answer 5

• nuclear reactor is used to turn water into steam
• nuclear store of uranium -> transferred by heating to thermal store of uranium -> transferred mechanically to kinetic store of turbine -> transferred electrically

Question 6

What are the energy transfers involved in wind?

Answer 6

• kinetic store of air transferred mechanically -> kinetic store of turbine -> transferred electrically to generate electricity

Question 7

What are the energy transfers involved in hydroelectricity

Answer 7

• gravitational store of water -> transferred mechanically -> to kinetic store of water -> kinetic store of turbine generator

Question 8

What are the energy transfers involved in geothermal energy?

Answer 8

• thermal store of rocks -> transferred by heating -> thermal store of water -> kinetic store of water -> turns to steam which turns turbine

Question 9

What are the energy transfers involved in solar cells?

Answer 9

• energy from sun transferred by radiation, solar cells transfer energy from sunlight electrically, producing a current + generating electrical power -> electrons flow

Question 10

What energy transfers are involved solar heating systems?

Answer 10

• light from sun can be used to directly heat water
• this can be used to heat homes and as a hot water supply

Question 11

Pros cons of fossil fuels

Answer 11

• reliable
• abundant
• relatively easy to generate electricity
• non renewable
• fuel costs
• greenhouse gases produced
• acid rain

Question 12

Pros cons nuclear

Answer 12

• high energy density
• no greenhouse gases
• no acid rain
• non renewable
• expensive
• production of nuclear waste
• radioactive matter into environment

Question 13

Biofuel pros cons

Answer 13

• carbon neutral
• renewable
  -reduced fossil fuel reliance
• labour intensive
• large amounts of land taken up

Question 14

Wind pros cons

Answer 14

• no air pollution
• renewable
• cheap to run
• visual pollution
• expensive to build
• unreliable

Question 15

Pros cons water

Answer 15

• renewable
• cheap to run
• no air pollution
• reliable
• can be turned on
• damage to habitats
• visual pollution
• can block access to ports
• trapped vegetation can produce green house gases

Question 16

Pros cons solar

Answer 16

• no air pollution
• cheap
• renewable
• not efficient
  -unreliable