DT Unit 2 Flashcards
How are fossil fuels formed?
Fossil fuels are formed from the fossilized remains of plants and animals over millions of years.
What is fracking?
Fracking involves drilling into layers of shale rock deep in the earth to release pockets of gas.
what are the renewable alternatives to fossil fuels?
-wind
-solar
-tidal
-biomass
-hydroelectric
what are the arguments FOR wind power?
- low maintenance
- clean energy
-higher winter output
-low cost energy
what are the arguments AGANIST wind power?
-only works when windy
-can be an eyesore
-hazards to birds
- noise
what are the arguments AGANIST solar power?
-seasonal fluctuations
- no power generated at night
-complex positioning issues
what are the arguments FOR solar power?
-low maintenance
- clean energy
-relatively low cost
What is tidal energy?
the rise and fall of the tide forces water through turbines which drives generators to produce electricity.
what are the arguments FOR hydroelectric power?
- clean source of energy
- it always ready to use (flexible)
- relatively inexpensive
what are the arguments AGANIST hydroelectric power?
- it has an environmental impact
- limited locations
-Susceptible to Droughts
what are the arguments AGANIST biofuel/ biomass?
- expensive
- requires a lot of space for technology
- still releases greenhouse gases
What are the arguments FOR biofuel/biomass?
- its a widely available energy source
- less garbage in landfills
- reduces the reliance on fossil fuels
What are the arguments FOR nuclear power?
- produces carbon free electricity
- cheap to run nuclear power stations
- high power output
-reliable energy source
what are the arguments AGANIST nuclear power?
- radioactive waste
- risk of accident
- initial expensive cost to build
What is energy?
energy is the capacity to do work
what are the two forms of energy?
- potential energy (stored)
- kinetic energy ( motion)
what’s an example of potential energy?
- chemical
- mechanical
- nuclear
- gravitational
What’s an example of kinetic energy (motion)
- movement
- electricity
- heat
- sound
what is potential energy?
potenial enrgy is stored in objects not in motion, that will move once released.
What is kinetic energy?
kinetic energy involves movement
how is energy stored?
- mechanical storage
. compression
. tension
.motion - chemical storage
. batteries
. food
. solid fuel
. gases
what are pneumatics?
compressed air or gas is used to create movement.
commonly used in industry with mechanical drills
what are hydraulics?
pumped and compressed liquids instead of air which makes it more powerful.
commonly used in:
-lifting equipment
what is flywheel energy storage?
- they use surplus energy to reach optimum speed
- momentum is stored until it is required
- the motor used to power them becomes a generator which returns electrical energy when needed
Examples of chemical energy storage includes:
- batteries
- canisters
- flammable gels
- hydrogen fuel cells
what are alkaline batteries?
there more efficient and have a higher capacity when compared to traditional batteries
what examples are there of new emerging battery technology?
- flow batteries (they are large units used to help smooth demand on the national grid)
-sodium and glass batteries are super fast charging and very high capacity.
disposal of batteries:
batteries contain toxic chemicals and metals which can leach into the soil and harm the wildlife.
you can safely dispose of batteries by recycling them
What are modern materials
new and improved materials are constantly being discovered and developed.
They can help solve:
-design issues
-technical constraints
- environmental issues
extra point: they can also be or combined in a way that is different from its normal function.
what is a biodegradable polymer?
They are made from vegetable starches, often corn starch.
Ex: polylatic acid (PLA) commonly used in 3D printing filament.
What is titanium?
A chemical element which is often bonded/ alloyed with other metals.
- It is relatively lightweight, tough, low density.
- excellent corrosion resistance making it very versatile
What are fibre optics?
fibre optic cables carry light down a thin glass core.
ex: cable TV and broadband infrastructure
What are the physical properties of graphene?
- one atom thick
- 200x times stronger than steel
-stretchable and flexible - electrically conductive
what is a LCD?
Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) use the light-modulating. properties of liquid crystals to display an image
What is metal foam and what is it used for?
Metal foams are porous metal structures made from aluminium and titanium. They are strong, lightweight, electrically & thermally conductive and absorb sound well. They are made by injecting gas into the liquid metal but still retain many properties of the original metal including being recyclable