ch 12

Question 1

non-renewable

Answer 1

an energy source with a finite supply, primarily the fossil fuels and nuclear fuels

Question 2

fossil fuels

Answer 2

a fuel derived from biological material that became fossilized millions of years ago.

Question 3

nuclear fuels

Answer 3

fuel derived from radioactive materials that give off energy

Question 4

commercial energy source

Answer 4

an energy source that is bought and sold

Question 5

subsistence energy source

Answer 5

an energy source gathered by individuals for their own immediate needs

Question 6

energy carrier

Answer 6

something that can move and deliver energy in a convenient, usable form to end users

Question 7

turbine

Answer 7

a device that can be turned by water, steam, or wind to produce power

Question 8

electrical grid

Answer 8

a network of interconnected transmission lines that joins power plants together and links them with end users of electricity

Question 9

combined cycle

Answer 9

a power plant that uses both exhaust gases and steam turbines to generate electricity

Question 10

capacity

Answer 10

the maximum electrical output

Question 11

capacity factor

Answer 11

the fraction of time a power plant operates in a year

Question 12

cogeneration

Answer 12

the use of fuel to generate electricity and produce heat

Question 13

coal

Answer 13

a solid fuel formed primarily from the remains of trees, ferns, and other plant materials preserved 280 million to 360 million years ago

Question 14

petroleum

Answer 14

a widely used fossil fuel that occurs in underground deposits, composed of a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons, water, and sulfur

Question 15

crude oil

Answer 15

liquid petroleum removed from the ground

Question 16

oil sands

Answer 16

slow-flowing, viscous deposits of bitumen mixed with sand, water, and clay

Question 17

CTL

Answer 17

the process of converting solid coal to liquid fuel

Question 18

bitumen

Answer 18

a degraded petroleum that forms when petroleum migrates to the surface of Earth and is modified by bacteria

Question 19

energy intensity

Answer 19

the energy use per unit of GDP

Question 20

hubbert curve

Answer 20

A bell-shaped curve representing oil use and projecting both when world oil production will reach a maximum and when the world will run out of oil.

Question 21

peak oil

Answer 21

the point at which half the total known oil supply is used up

Question 22

fission

Answer 22

A nuclear reaction in which a neutron strikes a relatively large atomic nucleus, which then splits into two or more parts, releasing additional neutrons and energy in the form of heat

Question 23

fuel rod

Answer 23

cylindrical tube that encloses nuclear fuel within a nuclear reactor

Question 24

control rods

Answer 24

A cylindrical device inserted between the fuel rods in a nuclear reactor to absorb excess neutrons and slow or stop the fission reaction.

Question 25

curie

Answer 25

a unit of measure for radiation

Question 26

nuclear fusion

Answer 26

a reaction that occurs when lighter nuclei are forced together to produce heavier nuclei

Question 27

Summarize how a coal-fired power plant produces electricity

Answer 27

Energy from coal combustion converts water into steam, which turns the turbine. The turbine powers the generator that produce electricity

Question 28

Give an example of how a power company could use cogeneration to obtain greater efficiencies

Answer 28

Steam used for industrial purposes or heating buildings can be used to turn a turbine

Question 29

2 advantages and disadvantages of coal

Answer 29

Advantages: energy dense, plentiful
Disadvantages: release impurities into air; bad mining practices

Question 30

2 advantages and disadvantages of petroleum

Answer 30

advantages: convenient to transport; cleaner burning than coal
disadvantages: releases carbon dioxide into atmosphere; fracking hurts ecosystems

Question 31

2 advantages and disadvantages of natural gas

Answer 31

adv: abundant, cheap supply, efficient for heat and cooking
dis: difficult to transport; potential to contaminate groundwater

Question 32

2 advantages and disadvantages of nuclear

Answer 32

adv: no air pollution; high power output
dis: possibility of accidents; thermal pollution