Energy Resources

Question 0

Renewable resources

Answer 0

Have an infinite supply or are replaced faster than they are used.

Question 1

Non-renewable sources

Answer 1

Have a finite supply and will eventually run out (e.g. coal, oil, gas)

Question 2

Fuels

Answer 2

Concentrated sources of energy.

Question 3

Fossil fuels

Answer 3

Coal, oil and gas, created in processes that take millions of years. Coal is plant matter. Oil is created from skeletons of sea creatures. Gas evaporates of oil reserves and gets trapped in rocks. Heat is released when fossil fuels are burnt.

Question 4

CO2

Answer 4

A ‘greenhouse gas’ thought to be responsible for global warming.

Question 5

SO2

Answer 5

A gas which when combined with water forms acid rain.

Question 6

Nuclear fuels

Answer 6

Uranium and plutonium. These undergo nuclear fission and release heat naturally. Not burnt.

Question 7

Nuclear power stations

Answer 7

Built near a constant supply of water (often coast) in isolated areas. They are very big and have safety concerns.

Question 8

Decommissioning

Answer 8

When a nuclear power station is shut down in a safe way, which takes years and costs tens of billions of pounds.

Question 10

Reliable

Answer 10

Energy types that aren’t dependent on the weather or other conditions.

Question 11

Which types of energy resources are non-renewable?

Answer 11

Coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear fuels (nuclear is not a fossil fuel - it is uranium and plutonium).

Question 12

What are the advantages of burning fossil fuels?

Answer 12

• They release a lot of energy quite cheaply.
• It doesn’t rely on the weather (unlike lots of renewable energy sources), so it’s reliable.
• There are lots of fossil fuel power stations already so we do not need top build more and spend more money on new technology.

Question 13

What are the disadvantages of boring fossil fuels?

Answer 13

• It releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming and climate change.
• Burning coal and oil also releases sulphur dioxide, which causes acid rain and harms trees, soil, rivers, and buildings.
• They will run out eventually and we will not have an energy resource.

Question 14

Which renewable energy sources can drive a turbine directly?

Answer 14

Geothermal energy, wind power, hydroelectric power, and wave power.

Question 15

What are the advantages of nuclear reactors?

Answer 15

• No greenhouse gases produced.

* Lots of uranium left in the ground - not going to run out very soon.

Question 16

What are the disadvantages of nuclear reactors?

Answer 16

• Longer to start up the fossil fuel power stations and expensive to build and maintain.
• Processing uranium before using it causes pollution.
• Risk of radioactive leaks - death and harm - and there will be radioactive waste.
• Expensive and takes a long time to be decommissioned.

Question 17

What are the advantages of geothermal energy?

Answer 17

• Free and renewable.

* No real environmental problems.

Question 18

What are the disadvantages of geothermal energy?

Answer 18

• Costs a lot of money to drill down deep.

* Costs a lot of money compared to the amount of energy got out of it.

Question 19

What are the advantages of wind energy?

Answer 19

• Cheap to run and wind is free.
• Wind turbines are tough and reliable.
• No polluting waste produced.
• Wind is renewable.

Question 20

What are the disadvantages of wind energy?

Answer 20

• Spoil the view - lots are needed and cover a lot of ground to replace one coal-fired power station.
• Wind might not be strong enough to generate power and it’s impossible to increase the wind if there isn’t enough.
• Can be noisy and disrupt those living nearby.
• Expensive to set up a wind farm.

Question 21

What are the advantages of wave power?

Answer 21

• Renewable.
• No pollution.
• Cheap to run and waves are free.

Question 22

What are the disadvantages of wave power?

Answer 22

• Spoil the view.
• Can be hazardous to boats.
• Unreliable - waves die out when there is little wind.
• Costs a lot to set up initially.

Question 23

What are the advantages of solar energy?

Answer 23

• Renewable.
• Cheap to run and fuel is free.
• No pollution.

Question 24

What are the disadvantages of solar energy?

Answer 24

• Very expensive initially and use a lot of energy to manufacture.
• Quite expensive to connect to National Grid when vamped with the value of the electricity generated.
• Only generate energy when it is sunny.

Question 25

What are the advantages of tidal energy?

Answer 25

• No pollution.
• Renewable.
• Reliable.
• Cheap to run and fuel is free.

Question 26

What are the disadvantages of tidal energy?

Answer 26

• Prevent free access by boats.
• Spoil the view.
• Alter wildlife’s habitat.
• Quite expensive to set up.

Question 27

What are the advantages of hydroelectricity?

Answer 27

• No pollution.
• Renewable.
• Able to be released when there is increased demand (water can be released) - generally reliable.
• Cheap to run and fuel is free.

Question 28

What are the disadvantages of hydroelectricity?

Answer 28

• Looks ugly when dried up.
• Initial costs are high,
• Valley is flooded so can destroy the habitat of some species.

Question 29

What does a turbine do?

Answer 29

Transfers kinetic energy from spinning the turbine into electrical energy (using a generator).

Question 30

How is energy generated from fossil fuels?

Answer 30

They are burnt and heat energy is released, which produces steam to power a turbine and convert it into kinetic energy.

Question 31

How is energy generated from nuclear power?

Answer 31

Nuclear energy is converted into heat energy as steam to power a turbine.