ENERGY RESOURCES

Question 1

battery

Answer 1

a device that converts chemical energy to electrical energy

Question 2

primary batteries

Answer 2

• non rechargeable
• they generate electricity through a chemical reaction that occurs between the electrodes, a reaction that is non reversable

Question 3

secondary batteries

Answer 3

• rechargeable
• they generate electrical energy through a reversible chemical reaction. when connected to a power source, the reaction is reversed to store energy

Question 4

fuel cell

Answer 4

a device that uses the chemical energy of hydrogen or other fuel to cleanly and efficiently produce electricity

Question 5

alternating currents

Answer 5

• electric charge that periodically reverses directions in a circuit
• well suited for long distance power transmissions because it can be easily transformed to different voltages

Question 6

direct current

Answer 6

• electric charge that flows in a single-direction circuit
• voltage remains constant and does not change direction (does not require transformers)

Question 7

AC/DC

Answer 7

AC is used to transport energy since it can travel long distances, then it is transformed to DC for regular use as it makes the voltage safer

Question 8

fossil fuels

Answer 8

non renewable substances that have been formed over millions of years form the remains of dead organisms

Question 9

coal

Answer 9

• mined and then put in a boulder to produce heat
• the heat is used to warm up water and create steam which causes a generator that is connected to a magnet to spin
• the movement of the magnet changes its polarity and produces electricity

Question 10

oil

Answer 10

• extracted
• goes through a distillation process where the boiling point produces a different substance that produces energy

Question 11

biomass

Answer 11

• organic matter derived from, a living, or recently living organism
• it is burned to create heat or processed into biofuel

Question 12

geothermal

Answer 12

• harnessed from the earths internal heat
• wells are drilled to reach the reservoirs (areas of high temperature water)
• the hot steam is brought to the surface, which turns a turbine to generate electricity

Question 13

wind

Answer 13

the wind turns blades of a turbine which moves a generator to produce electricity

Question 14

tidal

Answer 14

the movement of waves underwater turns turbines which are connected to a generator to create energy

Question 15

solar

Answer 15

• the panels absorb sunlight
• photons transfer energy to the atoms of silicone
• this makes electrons escape creating a current of energy

Question 16

hydroelectric

Answer 16

• involves building a dam
• when the water is released it flows through a turbine that drives a generator to create electricity

Question 17

nuclear energy

Answer 17

• relies on the controlled nuclear fission of U235
• control rods absorb neutrons that can be raised or lowered to control the rate of reaction
• the energy is passed through pipes to turn water into steam to move a turbine

Question 18

how a battery works

Answer 18

• a cathode (+) and an anode (-) are immersed in an electrolyte solution
• the anode undergoes oxidation (losing electrons) and the cathode gains electrons
• the electrolyte facilitates the movement of electrons
• the greater the reactivity difference between two metals, the higher the voltage produced by the battery (more reactive metal has a greater tendency to release electrons)

Question 19

implications of primary batteries

Answer 19

• they are made with lead which has potential health impacts
• 85% of the worlds lead consumption is for batteries
• 99% recyclable
• lead exposure takes place in mining and recycling process

Question 20

implications of secondary batteries

Answer 20

• only 5% is recycled
• lithium isn’t a polluter, but it also includes metals that do have to be mined

Question 21

coal pros

Answer 21

• abundant source
• reliable and stable
• cost effective

Question 22

coal cons

Answer 22

• non renewable source
• environmental impact (climate change)
• health risks (inhalation of micro particles may cause diseases)

Question 23

oil pros

Answer 23

• high energy density
• readily available
• infrastructure already in place

Question 24

oil cons

Answer 24

• environmental impact (oils pills ghg emissions)
• finite resource
• price volatility

Question 25

biomass pros

Answer 25

• clean and renewable
• since it is derived from plants, the production can offset carbon emissions
• good for storing energy

Question 26

biomass cons

Answer 26

• can become non renewable
• can cause arable land

Question 27

pros geothermal

Answer 27

• renewable and sustainable
• low ghg emissions
• reliable power

Question 28

cons geothermal

Answer 28

• location specific
• high installation cost

Question 29

wind pros

Answer 29

• clean and renewable
• low operating cost
• efficient use of space

Question 30

wind cons

Answer 30

• intermittent
• noise and visual pollution
• remote

Question 31

tidal pros

Answer 31

• renewable and sustainable
• high energy density
• low ghg emissions

Question 32

tidal cons

Answer 32

. high initial cost
- intermittent
- site specific

Question 33

solar pros

Answer 33

• renewable and sustainable
• reduces electricity costs
• environment friendsly

Question 34

solar cons

Answer 34

• high initial cost
• intermittent energy
• site specific

Question 35

hydroelectric pros

Answer 35

• renewable and reliable
• low ghg emissions

Question 36

hydroelectric cons

Answer 36

• environmental impact
• site specific

Question 37

nuclear energy pros

Answer 37

• los ghg emissions
• reliable and consistent
• high energy output

Question 38

nuclear energy cons

Answer 38

• radioactive waste
• safety risks