Biofuels - MT2 - Part 1

Question 1

How long does it take for the carbon cycle to turn?

Answer 1

Millions of years

Question 2

What is the most important GHG?

Answer 2

CO2

Question 3

What does burning of fossil fuels do?

Answer 3

Short circuits the carbon cycle, bringing long buried carbon into the atmosphere

Question 4

What leads to global warming and ocean acidification?

Answer 4

Burning fossil fuels

Question 5

Renewable energy

Answer 5

Is energy from a source that is no depleted by energy extraction, or that is quickly replenished

Question 6

Solar energy

Answer 6

A solar cell absorbs sunlight to send electrons moving from their low energy orbit

Question 7

Tidal and wave power

Answer 7

Takes advantage of the flow of water to generate energy

Question 8

What is an example to tidal and wave power? (2)

Answer 8

1. Tidal stream generator

2. Tidal barrage

Question 9

Tidal barrage

Answer 9

Is a dam like structure used to capture the energy from masses of water moving in and out of a bay or river due to tidal forces

Question 10

Where are tidal and wave power generated?

Answer 10

Not just in any location, not every shore line works

- very specific

Question 11

What are 3 advantages to tidal and wave power?

Answer 11

1. Reliable
2. Predictable
3. Will never run out

Question 12

What are 4 disadvantages to tidal and wave power?

Answer 12

1. Effects on marine life
2. Acoustic issues
   - whales could be effected
3. Expensive
4. Limited locations

Question 13

Where is wind power located? (2)

Answer 13

1. Can be on or off shore

2. Located in desert areas, so you need technology to be able to spread that energy

Question 14

What is an advantage to wind power?

Answer 14

Very abundant

Question 15

What are 2 disadvantages to wind power?

Answer 15

1. Doesnt blow all the time
   - no created energy
2. Not nice to look at

Question 16

What is an example of wind energy?

Answer 16

Cape wind project

Question 17

What are 6 advantages to hydroelectric power?

Answer 17

1. BC has lots of downhill rivers and we get 95% of our energy from there
2. Numerous
3. Flexible
   - can open and close gates to get power whenever
4. Cost is relatively low
5. Useful in flood control
6. Not generating GHG
   - only generates it when making cement for building it

Question 18

What are 3 disadvantages to hydroelectric power?

Answer 18

1. Flooding large areas (environmental damage)
2. Displace people
3. Possibility of dam failure (due to earthquake)
   - problematic for those living below it

Question 19

Geothermal energy

Answer 19

Earths interior is warmer then earths exterior

Question 20

What is internal energy derived from?

Answer 20

Decaying radioactive isotopes

Question 21

What % of thermal energy is from the left over process?

Answer 21

20%

Question 22

What % is from decaying radioactive isotope?

Answer 22

80%

Question 23

What can geothermal power exploit?

Answer 23

Natural temperature gradients

Question 24

What country has a lot of geothermal energy?

Answer 24

Ice land

- right above tectonic plats bumping into each other

Question 25

What is the downside to geothermal energy?

Answer 25

Volcanoes

Question 26

What is an example of raw biomass/biofuel?

Answer 26

Burning wood

Question 27

Biomass

Answer 27

The total mass of organisms in a given area or volume

Question 28

Biofuel

Answer 28

A fuel derived directly from living matter

Question 29

Nucelar power

Answer 29

Electric or motive power generated by a nuclear reactor

• fission reactor
• has increased over the years

Question 30

What is the problem with nuclear power?

Answer 30

Disposal waste

- long lived

Question 31

Nuclear fission

Answer 31

A nuclear reaction in which atomic nuclei of low atomic number fuse to form a heavier nucleus with the release of energy

Question 32

What is the problem with nuclear fission?

Answer 32

H bombs