Chapter 3- Fuels And Energy Resources

Question 1

Fossil fuels

Answer 1

Crude oil, coal and gas are fossil fuels. They were formed over millions of years, from the remains of dead organisms:

• coal was formed from dead trees and other plant material
• crude oil and and gas were formed from dead marine organisms

Fossil fuels took a very long time to form and we are using them up faster than they can be replaced. Once they have all been used up, they cannot be replaced. Fossil fuels are therefore finite resources; they are no longer being made or are being made incredibly slowly.

Question 2

Electricity from fossil fuels

Answer 2

About 3/4 of the electricity generated in the UK comes from power stations fuelled by fossil fuels. Energy from the burning fuel is used to boil water. The steam turns turbines, and these turn electrical generators. Unfortunately the use of fossil fuels releases pollution, including:

• carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas and increases global warming
• sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which cause acid rain

Question 3

Nuclear fuels

Answer 3

RNuclear fuels releases energy through nuclear reaction, rather than through chemical reactions. The main nuclear fuels are uranium and plutonium. In a nuclear power station, the energy released is used to boil water. The expanding steam spins turbines, which then drive generators to produce electricity.

Question 4

Nuclear advantages

Answer 4

• unlike fossil fuels, nuclear fuels don’t produce carbon dioxide of sulfur dioxide

Question 5

Nuclear disadvantages

Answer 5

• non-renewable

- large amount of radioactive material could be released into the air if there is an accident

Question 6

Wind energy

Answer 6

The wind is produced as a result of large movements of air, driven by energy from the sun. This means the kinetic energy in wind is a renewable energy source. As long as the sun exists, the wind will too

Question 7

Wind turbines

Answer 7

Use the wind to drive turbines directly. They have huge blades mounted on a tall tower. The blades are connected to a nacelle, or housing, which contains gears linked to a generator. As the wind blows it transfers some of its kinetic energy to the blades, which turn and drive the generator.

Question 8

Wind advantages

Answer 8

-renewable
Wind is free and can be captured efficiently
It has an interesting feature of landscape
Only takes up a small amount of land
Direct source

Question 9

Disadvantages

Answer 9

Noisy and may spoil the view for people living near them

If there is no wind there is no electricity