ch.19-21 Flashcards
work
application of force over distance, measured in joules (W=F s)
energy
the capacity to do work
power
the rate at which work is done, measured in watts (P=W/time
newton
force that is needed to accelerate 1 kg 1 meter per second ^ 2. F= m a
Joule
amount of work done when the force of 1 newton is exerted over 1 meter
watt
one joule per second
Global commercial energy production
fossil fuels- 80%. oil- 30%, natural gas- 25%, coal- 20%, renewable sources- 10%, Nuclear- 8%
US energy consumption by sector
Transportation- 45%, Industrial- 19%, Commercial- 18%, Residential- 19%
US energy consumption info
3/4 transprotation used by moter vehechlies mostly petrolium
residential and commercial used mostly for heating, cooling, water heating, lighting,
industrial 1/4 used for mining, milling, and processing of minerals
half of energy in fuels lost during conversion, shipping, and use, much pollution released.
per capita consumption
rich countries use 80% commercial energy, have only 20% of pop.
2035 emerging counties (Chona, India) will consume 60%
China doubled energy consumption over last decade, India twice as much since 2004
US, Germany, Japan same amount
fossil fuels
combustible deposits of earth’s crust, composed of fossils (coal, oil/ petroleum, natural gas)
non-renewable resource, demand will peak b4 end of this decade, share of world energy supply will drop to 73% by 2030
oil (how it’s formed)
oil- Microscopic plants buried under sediment, Heat, pressure, and time turned them into hydrocarbons
how carbon is released into the atmosphere
we have been burning too much C releasing as CO2
CO2 present in the atmosphere, dissolved in the ocean,
in plants (cycles change slowly)
Deepwater horizon
April 22, 2010, drilling platform in
the Gulf of Mexico exploded, 5 million barrels spilled, finally stopped in mid-July 2010
coal
formed- Heat, pressure, and time turned the nondecomposed plant
material into carbon-rich rock
Most laid down during Carboniferous period (286
million to 360 million years ago)
nonrenewable
natural gas (how it’s formed)
natural gas- same way as oil, but at temperatures higher than 100 degrees Celsius
coal resources
coal deposits are ten times greater than conventional oil and gas resources combined
“Proven reserves” - have been mapped, measured, and shown to be economically recoverable. That could increase to thousands of years if estimates of unknown reserves are included.
Oil can last up to 50 years, natural gas up to 53 years, and coal up to 114 years 16
Coal mining
1870 and 1950, more than 30,000 American coal miners died in Pennsylvania Black Lung Disease
Strip mining is cheaper and safer than underground mining. makes
land unfit for other use, Acid drainage damages streams,
Mountaintop removal, practiced in Appalachia, causes streams, farms, and towns to be buried under hundreds of meters of toxic rubble.
Burning coal
burning plants emit radioactivity from uranium and thorium. and releases sulfur and nitrogen oxides,
particulates, and carbon dioxide which contribute to acid rain, air pollution, and global warming.
Coal combustion is responsible for 25% of all atmospheric mercury pollution in the U.S
Ash from coal combustion is stored in open storage ponds, at risk of catastrophic failures causing millions of dollars in damages and polluting local water supplies
oil production
peaked in the production of oil in 1970s
new developed techniques for obtaining oil from ever more remote and extreme places
Canada’s Athabascan tar sands, Brazil’s Santos Basin, Venezuela’s Orinoco Belt, Angola’s Kwanza Basin, the United States’ Bakken formation, and the Arctic sea bed
oil impacts
Disrupts wildlife and plants
Burning oil produces carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides.
Every year 1.5 billion tons of oil are shipped in ocean tankers or through pipelines. Pipelines carrying tar sands oil have a much higher rupture rate than those for conventional oil.
Hydraulic fracturing
Extraction of natural gas that is tightly bound in shale deposits by applying chemicals and water under high-pressure
Produces large amounts of contaminated wastewater, stored underground, regulations slow
Tar sands
composed of sand and shale particles coated with bitumen, a viscous mixture of long-chain hydrocarbons. They must be mixed
with steam to extract the bitumen, which is then refined. The process creates toxic sludge, releases
greenhouse gases contaminates water, and destroys boreal forest in Canada where most of the
reserves are.
hazardous pollution from refineries
oil- smaller molecules such as propane, butane, or methane, boil off first. Larger molecules, like tar, are left behind
Separated components then provide the material for plastics, lubricating oils, paints, and other chemicals.
Plastic factories are a leading source of air pollution, especially carcinogenic organic compounds.
Natural gas
World’s third largest commercial fuel, 25% of global energy consumption.
Composed primarily of methane (a powerful greenhouse gas).
Produces half as much C O2 as equivalent amount of coal. Most rapidly growing energy source.
Natural gas location
Most reserves in Middle East and Russia.
LNG -Gas is liquefied to ship it over the ocean. A ship explosion would be equivalent to a medium sized atomic bomb.
Methane can be extracted from coal seams.
Atomic Mass
Sum of the protons and neutrons in an atom
Atomic number
Number of protons per atom. Each element has its own atomic number
Isotope
Atom where the number of neutrons is greater than the
number of protons
Nuclear power
Most commonly used fuel is uranium-235: naturally
occurring radioactive isotope of uranium
Occurs naturally at 0.7% of uranium ore, but must be enriched
to 3%
Nuclear fission
Splitting of an atomic nucleus into two smaller fragments,
accompanied by the release of a large amount of energy in the
form of heat (makes nuclear energy)
Nuclear fusion
Joining of two lightweight atomic nuclei into a single, heavier nucleus, accompanied by the release of a large amount of energy
process:
1. Neutron bombardment
2. Nucleus splits into
atomic fragments
3. And free neutrons
4. Free neutrons bombard
U-235 nuclei
5. More free neutrons
released in chain
reaction