energy Flashcards
non renwable resource’s
resources that are finite
renwable sources
resources that are infinite
non renewable sources examples
-oil
-natural gas
-coal
-nuclear
renewable sources examples
-solar
-hydroelectricity
-biofuels
-tidal waves
-geothermal
-wind
how is oil obtained
traditional drilling and pumping methods
how is natural ga sobtained
it is a product of decomposed organic matter burned over time. it flows easily up wells to the surface.
how is coal obtained
surface or underground mining
how is nuclear obtained
created from the release of energy from nuclear reactions, usually from uranium or plutonium. byproducts are radioactive.
advantages of using nuclear
less carbon dioxide emissions
low running costs
uses a small amount of fuel
last longer
no acid rain
disadvantages of using nuclear
high start-up costs
fear of radioactive contamination
hard to dispose of nuclear waste
nuclear accidents e.g. Chernobyl or Fukushima
decommissioning costs
how is HEP obtained
trap flowing water then release it under greater pressure
how are biofuels obtained
manufactured from from living things or from waste
how is tidal/wave energy produced
The movement of seawater in and out of a cavity on the shore compresses trapped air, driving a turbine.
how is geothermal energy obtained
Cold water is pumped under ground (in a hot volcanic region) and comes out as steam. Steam can be used for heating or to power turbines creating electricity.
how is wind obtained
wind turbines capture the wind, which makes the rotors spin and the movement of the blades drives a generator that creates energy.
economic advantage of nuclear power
increase in curent electricity generation capacity
economic disadvantage of nuclaer power
high costs to start up and begin
social advantage of nuclear power
employment opportunitites
social disadvantage of nuclear power
public fear of widespread radioactive contamination
political advantage of nuclear power
could be part owned with another country to futhur international relations
envrionmental advantage of nuclear power
abundant and low carbon emissions
environmental disadvantage of nuclear power
possible widespread radioactive contamination
advantages of oil and gas over coal
fewer carbon dioxide emissions
no acid rain
transport via pipes
oil can be used for plastics
disadvantages of using oil and gas
possible oil spills
only 50 years of oil left (peak oil)
oil pipelines are potential terrorist targets
political problems of being dependent on russia/middle east for electricity
AD and DD of HEP
AD:
water in the dam released when electricity needed
less carbon dioxide emissions
DD:
disruption to the environment and nearby settlements
expensive to build
AD and DD of fuelwood
AD:
renewable
easy to get the fuel
cheap
DD:
carbon dioxide emissions
deforestation
air pollution from woodsmoke
advanatages and disadvanatges of gerothermal power
AD:
-low environmental impact
-low maintanence costs
-not dependent on weather condintions
DD:
-high installation costs
-limited possible locations
AD and DD of solar power
AD:
-renewable
-no pollution
-can be used in remote areas
DD:
-high initial costs
-cannot be harnessed during storms, on cloudy days or at night
-limited countries with low annual hours of sunshine
-large areas of land required to capture the suns energy in order to generate significant amounts of power
how much oil does china use compared to the rest of the world
in 2017 it surpassed the US as the largest oil importer in the world
how tall is the yangtze river 3 gorges dam
over 60 stories
how long is the 3 gorges dam
over 2km
how much power does the 3 gorges dam produce
over 20,000 mW (2x all of britains nuclear power put together)
how many underground powerhouses does the 3 gorges dam contain
3
how many people were moved so that they weren’t flooded for the construction of the 3 gorges dam
over 1 million
