2.11 Fossil Fuels & Nuclear Energy

Question 1

What is a fossil fuel?

Answer 1

A fossil fuel is a hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the earth’s crust from the remains of dead plants and animals

Question 2

What are the three main fossil fuels you need to know about?

Answer 2

• Coal (solid)
• Crude oil (liquid)
• Natural gas (gaseous)

Question 3

Fossil fuels may be burned to provide heat. What are the three ways in which fossil fuels can be used?

Answer 3

• Burned to provide heat for direct use (e.g. cooking)
• To power engines (e.g. the internal combustion engines in cars)
• To generate electricity

Question 4

How long does it take for fossil fuels to form?

Answer 4

Millions of years

Question 5

What are the pros of fossil fuels? (4)

Answer 5

• Relatively cheap
• Can be used in any conditions (e.g. don’t require wind or sunshine to work)
• Much of our current infrastructure is designed to run using fossil fuels (e.g. most of our cars use petrol or diesel which are both made from crude oil)
• They are reliable. There’s enough fossil and nuclear fuels to meet current demand, and they are extracted from the Earth at a fast enough rate that power stations always have fuel in stock. This means non-renewable power stations can respond quickly to changes in demand.

Question 6

What are the cons of fossil fuels? (3)

Answer 6

• They’re a limited resource so will run out one day
• They produce carbon dioxide when burned, which is a greenhouse gas and contributes to global warming
• They sometimes produce toxic gases when burned - such as sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide

Question 7

Are fossil fuels a renewable or finite resource?

Answer 7

Finite

Question 8

What is the name of the gas produced by the combustion of fossil fuels that contributes to global warming?

Answer 8

Carbon dioxide

Question 9

What is nuclear energy?

Answer 9

Nuclear energy is energy obtained via nuclear reactions, such as nuclear fission reactions in nuclear power stations. This energy can be used to generate electricity, which can then be transmitted to homes and factories across the country.

Question 10

What are the pros of nuclear energy? (3)

Answer 10

• Nuclear fuels do not produce any pollutants like sulfur dioxide, or greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.
• Can be used in any conditions (e.g. nuclear power doesn’t depend on environmental forces like sunshine or wind)
• Although nuclear fuel (like uranium) is a limited resource, it is very unlikely to run out for a very long time

Question 11

What are the cons of nuclear energy? (5)

Answer 11

• Nuclear fuels (like uranium) are technically a finite resource (although nuclear power stations only use very tiny amounts so it won’t run out any time soon)
• Nuclear power stations produce radioactive waste, which remains harmful for thousands of years and so must be stored very carefully
• It is quite expensive
• If there is a problem at the power station, there is a very small chance of a nuclear meltdown which could release large amounts of radioactive material into the environment
• Nuclear power plants take a long while to make

Question 12

Is nuclear power relatively cheap or expensive compared to most other fuels?

Answer 12

Expensive

Question 13

Is the fuel for nuclear power a renewable or finite resource?

Answer 13

Finite