Energy Pt2 (P1)

Question 1

Non-renewable energy

Answer 1

Coal
Oil
Gas
Will all run out one day, damage the environment, provide most of our energy

Question 2

Renewable energy resources

Answer 2

Solar. Wind. Waves. Hydroelectric. Biofuel. Tidal. Geothermal
Will never run out, less damage to the environment, not much energy, unreliable

Question 3

Transport

Answer 3

Petrol and diesel for vehicles
Coal for steam trains
Cars can use some biofuel for renewable

Question 4

Heating

Answer 4

Natural gas- radiators
Coal- fireplaces
Electric heaters
Geothermal
Solar
Biofuel

Question 5

Wind power

Answer 5

Each turbine has a generator in it
No pollution
Need 1500 for 1 coal power station 
Produce electricity 70-85% of the time
High initial costs, no fuel, low running costs

Question 6

Solar cells

Answer 6

Generate currents from solar cells
Used in remote places 
No pollution
Very reliable in some countries, not others
High initial costs, cheap after
Can’t increase power output

Question 7

Geothermal

Answer 7

Possible in volcanic areas or where there are hot rocks quite near to the surface
Brilliant, reliable free energy
Generate electricity o4 directly heat buildings
Main drawbacks are that there aren’t very many suitable locations and the cost of building is more than it is worth

Question 8

Hydro-electric power

Answer 8

Usually requires the flooding of a valley by building a big dam, allows water out through turbines
Loss of habitat, can look bad when dry
Immediate response to increased demand
Only problem in times of drought
Initial high costs, no fuel, minimal running costs

Question 9

Wave power

Answer 9

Need lots of small wave powered turbines around the coast
Disturb the seabed, hazard to boats
Fairly unreliable, needs wind
Useful on small islands, low scale
High initial costs, no fuel costs, low running costs

Question 10

Tidal barrages

Answer 10

Big dams across estuaries with turbines to allow water out in a controlled speed
Tides are produced by the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon
No pollution, prevents boat access, alters habitats
Happen twice a day without fail, height varies
Moderate initial costs, no fuel, low running costs

Question 11

Bio-fuels

Answer 11

Created from plant products or animal faeces, any state, burnt like fossil fuels
Supposedly carbon neutral
Fairly reliable, crops grow quickly but can’t respond to demand
Very high cost to refine
Large areas of forests have had to be cleared, increases CO2 and methane emissions

Question 12

Non-renewables

Answer 12

Fossil fuels and nuclear energy are reliable, can meet current demand
Slowly running out, may run out in 100 years
Set-up costs can be high, fairly cheap running costs

Question 13

Non-renewable environmental problems

Answer 13

Release CO2 when burned
Burning coal and oil release sulfur dioxide (acid rain)
Can b reduced by removing sulfur before
Coal mining ruins the landscape

Question 14

Non-renewable energy problems 2

Answer 14

Oil spillages cause serious environmental problems
Nuclear power is clean but waste is very dangerous
Nuclear fuel is relatively cheap but the overall cost is high
Nuclear always carries the risk of major disaster e.g. Fukushima

Question 15

Current energy state

Answer 15

Electricity use is greatly increasing 20th century as the population grew
Electricity is slowly decreasing in the 21st century as more efficient
Most produced with fossil fuels
Oil is used for cars, gas for home and cooking

Question 16

Why do we want to use more renewable resources

Answer 16

Burning fossil fuels is very dangerous to the environment
We are increasingly aware that they will run out
Pressure from other countries and public means that the government are setting targets to stop this
Car companies going to hybrids and electrics

Question 17

How are the use of renewables limited

Answer 17

There is a lot of evidence but scientists don’t have the power to change things
Costs money to build new power plants so energy providers are cautious, people will have to pay in bills or through taxes, people don’t want to
Arguments over where to put them
Some are not reliable, some can’t increase on demand

Question 18

What is renewable limited by 2

Answer 18

Research costs time and money, may be years until we improve
Personal changes can be expensive e.g. hybrid/electric cars are more expensive, solar panels also, prices are slowly decreasing