Energy Flashcards
1
Q
What is a renewable energy source?
A
Energy that will not run out on a human timescale
E.g. solar/wind
2
Q
What is a non-renewable energy source?
A
Energy that can’t be used again, it’s finite
E.g. fossil fuels
3
Q
What are fossil fuels?
A
Natural fuels (e.g. coal/gas), formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.
4
Q
Why has world energy consumption increased?
A
- increasing population
- countries developing/industrialising
- increased domestic energy (e.g. lights, microwaves, mobile phones)
- increased car ownership
- increasing tourism/flights
5
Q
Why is MEDC energy consumption higher than LEDC?
A
- higher car ownership
- increased domestic use (e.g. mobile phones & dishwashers)
- more flights/tourism
6
Q
Why is LEDC energy use likely to increase as they develop?
A
- more factories & transport
- better infrastructure & electricity supply
- increased use of technology
7
Q
What factors affect how much energy is used in each country?
A
- varying population size
- some countries/people can’t afford energy
- lack of technology in a place so less energy is used
- whether energy/electricity supply is available throughout the country
- more electronic devices/home appliances are used in the place
- some countries are more industrialised so have more factories - manufacturing industry will use more energy
- some countries use more transport & own more cars - car ownership is higher in MEDCs
- some countries use more energy travelling by planes for leisure travel
8
Q
How is coal formed?
A
From the remains of dead trees & plants. It’s mined from seams of coal found between layers of rock in the Earth.
9
Q
How is crude oil and natural gases formed?
A
Dead remains of marine organisms.
Millions of years ago, huge numbers of microscopic animals & plants died & fell to the bottom of the sea. Their remains were covered in mud.
As mud sediment was buried by more sediment, it started to change into rock as temp. & pressure increased. The plant & animal remains were chemically altered by this process & slowly turned into crude oil & natural gases.
10
Q
How do thermal power stations work?
A
- Fuel is burned to boil water & make steam.
- Steam spins turbine.
- Spinning turbine turns a generator, producing electricity.
- Electricity goes to transformers to produce correct voltage.
11
Q
Where are coal fired power stations found?
A
Near to mines & coal fields as coal is heavy & bulky to transport, making it expensive. Often near to major towns & cities that use the power.
12
Q
Where are oil fired power stations built?
A
Often built near the coast where oil pipelines bring liquid ashore or where tankers can bring it from other countries.
13
Q
How do gas fired power stations work?
A
Gas is often found under the sea & is piped ashore.
14
Q
What are the advantages of coal?
A
- cheap to mine & convert to electricity
- lasts longer than oil/gas
- creates jobs in mining industries
15
Q
What are the advantages of oil?
A
- easy to transport by pipeline/tanker
- only fuel in mass use for motor vehicles
- less pollution than coal when burned
- raw material in chemical industry - used to create plastics
16
Q
What are the advantages of gas?
A
- electricity generation is less expensive than using oil
- gas fired generating plants are less expensive to build than plants that use most renewable energy sources, coal or nuclear
17
Q
What are the disadvantages of coal?
A
- non-renewable
- burning coal produces greenhouse gases that increase global warming
- causes atmospheric pollution which causes respiratory diseases
18
Q
What are the disadvantages of oil?
A
- non-renewable
- burning oil produces greenhouse gases that increase global warming
- oil spills from tankers & pipelines can cause pollution that kills wildlife
- world oil production is concentrated in a small no. of countries which control supply & price
19
Q
What are the disadvantages of gas?
A
- non-renewable
- burning gas produces greenhouse gases which increase global warming
- can be dangerous (explosions)
20
Q
What problems are associated with relying on fossil fuels?
A
- takes millions of years to make
- non-renewable and so will run out
- cost of fuels keep increasing
- cost of transport & extraction are high
- pollute atmosphere by giving off greenhouse gases and CO2
- fears over global warming
- causes acid rain
21
Q
In LEDCs, how much of energy supplies does fuel wood account for?
A
70%
The more rural the country, the greater dependence it has on wood
22
Q
What are the advantages of fuel wood?
A
- often free
- doesn’t require high-tech equipment
- accessible source of fuel for heating & cooking
23
Q
What problems can fuelwood cause?
A
- cuts natural woodlands quicker than they can grow, so longer distances need to be walked to collect it, which is hard work & time consuming, children miss out on education as a result
- deforestation leads to soil erosion
- burning wood in confined spaces leads to respiratory illnesses
24
Q
What are the advantages of nuclear energy?
A
- low production cost
- no air pollution/greenhouse gases
- small amounts of raw materials are required
25
What are the disadvantages of nuclear energy?
- construction costs are high
- worries over radiation
- storage & disposal of waste isn’t easy
- land can’t be used after closure for many years
26
What is the greenhouse effect?
- energy from sun reaches earth
- lots of energy is absorbed by Earths surface & reflected back into space
- greenhouse gases act as a blanket, trapping heat that would have been radiated away
- the more greenhouse gases, the more heat is trapped in Earths atmosphere, leading to increased global temperatures
27
What are the causes of human enhanced global warming?
- deforestation - reduced photosynthesis leads to increased CO2 in atmosphere
- burning fossil fuels - combustion of coal, oil & natural gases is used for energy & industry, releasing CO2
- car exhausts - released nitrous oxide
- rubbish dumps - decomposition releasing methane & CO2
- agriculture - cows produce methane
- all of these are made worse by increasing population
28
What are the percentages of global greenhouse gas emissions by gas?
- CO2 (fossil fuel & industrial processes) - 65%
- methane - 16%
- CO2 (forestry & other land use) - 11%
- nitrous oxide - 6%
- fluoridated gases - 2%
29
What are examples of f-gases?
- hydroflourocarbon
- old fridges
- aerosols
30
What are the effects of global warming in the Arctic?
Ice melting leading to sea level rise & loss of habitat
31
What are the effects of global warming in the Ganges?
Rivers dry up due to no ice left as source
32
What are the effects of global warming in the UK?
Flooding due to loss of land
33
What are the effects of global warming in the Sahara Desert?
Desertification leading to famine
34
What are the effects of global warming?
- more storms
- difficulty producing food (e.g. Somalia)
- lack of water supply (e.g. California & South Africa)
- wildfires (e.g. California)
- impacts on species & their food chains
- flooding of coastal lowlands (e.g. Bangladesh)
- loss of habitat
- heat stroke - elderly in places (e.g. UK) are particularly at risk)
- changing rainfall patterns leading to desertification (e.g. Sahara)
35
What are some ways to reduce global warming?
- technological solutions (e.g. carbon capture)
- use renewable energy & nuclear power, use less fossil fuels
- recycle waste rather than landfill
- energy efficiency - energy efficient light bulbs & better insulation in homes
- sustainable transport (e.g. public transport/cycling)
- reduce deforestation & encourage afforestation
- reduce emissions in industry
36
How does solar energy work?
Converts energy from sun into power
37
How does wind energy work?
Wind turns the propeller-like blades of the turbine
This spins the generator
Which creates kinetic energy
This is then turned into electricity
38
How does hydroelectric power work?
Moving water creates electricity
Dam is built on river
Water is released
Flowing water spins turbine
Turbine powers generator, turning kinetic energy into electricity
39
How does tidal energy work?
Turbines in sea & movement of tides rotate them to generate electricity
Turbines spin pole, which is connected to generator, creating electricity
40
How does geothermal energy work?
Underground reservoirs of water heated by rock in ground
Produces steam which turns turbine
41
How does biomass work?
Organic material form plants and animals is burnt
42
How does wave energy work?
Waves flush into chamber on shoreline
Compresses air causing it to drive turbine
Connected to generator which produces electricity
43
What are suitable locations for solar energy?
Unshaded areas
South facing
Roof with 15-40 degree slope
44
What are suitable locations for wind energy?
Away from cities
On hill
Facing prevailing wind direction
Where there is a good wind supply
45
What are suitable locations for hydroelectric power?
Enough flowing water
Hilly/mountains
In dams/sea
Not placed far inland
46
What are suitable locations for tidal energy?
Big difference between high & low tide
Smaller tidal channels
47
What are suitable locations for geothermal energy?
Underground reservoirs of water
Tectonic plate boundaries
48
What are suitable locations for wave energy?
Coastline
Somewhere with reliable wind (e.g. Scotland)
49
What are suitable locations for biomass?
Near sea where material can be imported easily
50
What are the advantages of solar energy?
- increasingly affordable
- doesn’t create greenhouse gases
- low maintenance cost
51
What are the advantages of wind energy?
- creates well paid jobs
- cheap
- reduces carbon emissions
- renewable
52
What are the advantages of hydroelectric power?
- reliable & consistent energy
- long lifespan (dams)
- high efficiency (90%)
53
What are the advantages of tidal energy?
- renewable
- tides are predictable
- no greenhouse gases released
54
What are the advantages of geothermal energy?
- always available
- doesn’t require large spaces
- silent
- little maintenance
55
What are the advantages of biomass?
- easily accessible
- cheaper than fossil fuels
- reduces waste & landfill
56
What are the advantages of wave energy?
- renewable
- efficient
- high energy potential
57
What are the disadvantages of solar energy?
- weather dependant
- high installation cost
- requires significant space
58
What are the disadvantages of wind energy?
- disrupts local wildlife
-ideal sites are remote locations
- noise pollution
- noise & vibration can disrupt marine life
- high initial cost
59
What are the disadvantages of hydroelectric power?
- high initial cost
- may cause disruption of water supply
- takes up lots of space
60
What are the disadvantages of tidal energy?
- expensive to build
- limited installation sites
61
What are the disadvantages of geothermal energy?
- can’t build everywhere
- can trigger earthquakes
- can be expensive if have to dig deep
62
What are the disadvantages of biomass?
- resource intensive
- air pollution causes respiratory diseases
63
What are the disadvantages of wave energy?
- expensive to build
- can be unreliable
- expensive to maintain
- can disrupt marine habitats
64
How much has the UK population increased since 2000?
From 60million to 70million
65
Why is energy use high in the UK?
- MEDC
- car ownership is high (600 vehicles per 1000 people)
- domestic energy use is high due to high number of white goods
- industrial use is strong (e.g. Nissan Factory)
- wealth = tourism = flights
- residential buildings are often old, with poor insulation so require more energy to heat
66
What is the UK energy mix like?
Dominated by natural gas, wind, and to a lesser extent nuclear
67
What is the UK’s energy consumption per capita?
2800kg oil equivalent
68
69
How has the UK energy use changed over time?
- coal used to be major part of mix (over 50% in 1980s)
- nuclear has stayed quite consistent over last 30 years
- gas, wind & solar have increased rapidly
- now gas is largest energy fuel type (just over 1/3)
- now wind is 2nd (roughly 30%)
- now nuclear is 3rd (around 15%)
- now the rest is from other renewables & coal
- if transport is included, oil has a much larger portion
70
Will wind be the future in the UK?
- Dec 2023 - wind was largest source of generation (41.2%)
- UK achieved a new maximum wind record of 21.8GW of UKs electricity on 21st Dec
- wind accounted for 56% of UKs electricity generation during this period
71
72
What are the environmental impacts of UK energy supply & consumption?
Wind turbines can kill birds & disrupt wildlife, produce noise pollution & are an eyesore
73
Do fossil fuels still play a role in the UK energy mix?
- coal is declining drastically
- there are no coal power station left in UK
- UK consumed 60% of its natural gas in 2010
- in 5 years, UK moved from almost gas self-sufficient (North Sea gas) to 40% gas import in 2010
