Chapter 13 Vocab Flashcards
Biodiesel
Diesel substitute produced by extracting & chemically altering oil from plants
Biofuels
Liquid fuels created from processed/ refined biomass
Carbon neutral
An activity that does not change how much CO2 is in the atmosphere
Active solar energy
Energy captured from sunlight with intermediate technologies
Ethanol
Alcohol made by converting starches and sugars from plant material into alcohol and CO2
Electrolysis
Application f an electric current to water molecules to split them into hydrogen & oxygen
Fossil carbon
Carbon in fossil fuels
Flex fuel vehicles
Vehicle running on either ethanol or gasoline
Energy conservation
Implementation of methods to use less energy
Hydroelectricity
Electricity from water
Nonrenewable
A source that is gone once used up
Modern carbon
Carbon in biomass the was recent in the atmosphere
Nondepletable
A source that cannot be used up
Passive solar design
Construction designed to take advantage of solar radiation without active technology
Peak demand
Greatest quantity of energy used at any one time
Potentially renewable
Energy source that can be regenerated as long as not over harvested
Net removal
Process of removing more than is replaced by growth, typically used when referring to carbon
Smart grid
Efficient, self regulating electricity distribution network that accepts any source of electricity and distributes it effectively to users
Run of the river
Hydroelectricity generation in which water is retained behind a low dam or no dam
Renewable
Source that is either potentially renewable (renewable unless over harvested) or nondepletable (can’t be used up)
Tiered rate system
Billing system by electric companies
User uses more their rate increases
Thermal inertia
Ability for a material to keep its temp.
Water impoundment
Storage of water in a reservoir behind a dam
Siltation
Accumulation of sediments, normally silt, on bottom of a reservoir
Tidal energy
Energy from movement of waves (gravitational pull from moon)
Wind energy
Energy from the kinetic energy of wind
Wind turbine
Turbine that converts wind energy into electrooty
Photovoltaic solar cells
System of capturing energy from sunlight & converting it to electricity
(Ex: Mirrors reflecting light onto pipes of liquid)
Ground source heat pumps
Transfers heat from ground to a building
Ex: antifreeze pipes
Geothermal energy
Heat energy that come from the radioactive decay of elements deep in earth
(Ex: geysers)
Fuel cell
Electrical chemical device that converts fuel (like hydrogen) into an electrical current
