Energy Resources

Question 1

what are the two main types of non-renewable energy

Answer 1

• fossil fuels

- nuclear fuels

Question 2

what are fossil fuels

Answer 2

• natural resources that form underground for millions of years
• that are typically burnt to provide energy

Question 3

what are the three main fossil fuels

Answer 3

• coal
• gas
• and oil

Question 4

why are fossil fuels and nuclear energy considered to be reliable

Answer 4

• theres still plenty of fuel around to meet the current demand
• and power plants always have fuel in stock

Question 5

why is it an advantage for fossil fuels and nuclear energy to be reliable

Answer 5

• they can respond quickly to changes in energy demand

- they use more fuel to release more energy

Question 6

what are two advantages of fossil fuels

Answer 6

• the cost to extract fossil fuels is low

- fossil fuel power plants are relatively cheap to build and run

Question 7

why is nuclear power more expensive than fossil fuels

Answer 7

• because the power plants are more expensive to build

- and there are costs for safe decommission

Question 8

what is the impending disadvantage of fossil fuels

Answer 8

• they are a finite resource
• as we are using more than is being produced
• so they are slowly running out

Question 9

what environmental problem do fossil fuels create

Answer 9

• they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when theyre burned
• which adds to the greenhouse effect and contributes to global warming

Question 10

how do fossil fuels cause acid rain and how can it be combated

Answer 10

• burning coal and oil releases sulfur dioxide
• which causes the acid rain
• it can be reduced by taking the sulfur out before the fuel is burned
• or by cleaning up the emissions

Question 11

what environmental problem do oil spills cause

Answer 11

it affects mammals and birds that live in and around the area

Question 12

what are the dangers of nuclear power

Answer 12

• although it is clean, the nuclear waste is very dangerous and difficult to dispose of
• theres always a risk of a major catastrophe like the fukushima disaster in japan

Question 13

what are some examples of renewable energy sources

Answer 13

• bio-fuels
• wind
• solar
• hydro-electric
• tidal

Question 14

what is an advantage and disadvantage about renewable energy

Answer 14

• and advantage is that they will never run out, so the energy can be renewed as it is used
• a disadvantage is that they dont provide much energy and some of them are unreliable as they depend on the weather

Question 15

what are biofuels and how are they used an an energy resource

Answer 15

• renewable energy resources that can either be created from plant products or animal dung
• they can be solid, liquid or gas
• and can be burned to produce electricity or run cars in the same way as fossil fuels

Question 16

what is a supposed advantage about bio-fuels

Answer 16

• that they are carbon neutral
• although there is some debate
• as it is only really true if you are growing plants at the rate that you are burning things

Question 17

why are bio-fuels considered to be fairly reliable

Answer 17

• because the crops take a relatively short time to grow

- and different crops can be grown all year round

Question 18

what is done to combat the fact that bio-fuels cant respond to immediate energy demands

Answer 18

bio-fuels are continuously produced and stored for when they are needed

Question 19

what are the disadvantages of bio-fuels

Answer 19

• the cost to refine bio-fuels is very high
• and some worry that growing crops specifically for bio-fuels means there isnt enough space or water to meet the demands for crops that are grown for food

Question 20

what is an environmental disadvantage of bio-fuels

Answer 20

• im some regions, large areas of forests have been cleared to make room to grow bio-fuels
• resulting in lots of species losing their natural habitats
• the decay or burning of vegetation also increases methane and CO2 emissions