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Energy Resources & Electricity Generation Flashcards

1
Q

what are energy sources

A

Energy sources/fuel = things we break to release energy (the fuel for humans is food)

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2
Q

what are non renewable energy sources

A

non-renewable energy sources = energy source that can’t be replaced (at least for a long long time)

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3
Q

what is the main source of energy in the world

A

The main form of energy, is a form of non-renewable energy which is used all over the world, called fossil fuels

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4
Q

what are the 3 types of fossil fuels

A

The three fossil fuels are: coal, oil and gas
Formation of fossil fuels:

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5
Q

how are fossil fuels formed

A

living organisms die and fall into the ground
layers of earth on top, combined with a lot of heat and pressure over millions of years turns the remnants of these living organisms into fossil fuels

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6
Q

why are fossil fuels non renewable

A

So, fossil fuels are non-renewable as they can run out soon, and we won’t be able to replace them for millions of years

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7
Q

How does burning fossil fuels affect the environment: (2)

A

Burning fossil fuels emits CO2
CO2 is a greenhouse gas
Greenhouse gases trap infrared radiation in the atmosphere
With more CO2 (more greenhouse gases), more infrared radiation is being trapped, leading to the Earth’s temperature rising

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8
Q

what is global temperture rising called

A

This rise in temperature is called global warming

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9
Q

why is global warming a problem (3)

A

Global warming is a problem as:
Changing the world’s climate
The polar ice-caps are melting
The sea levels are rising

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10
Q

which fossil fuesl release the least/most CO2

A

Coal releases the most CO2
Natural gas releases the least CO2

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11
Q

What are some companies doing to deal with CO2 emissions?

A

Carbon capture and storage - companies are drilling holes into the ground, and pumping CO2 deep underground and just storing it there

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12
Q

why is sulfer dioxide bad (4)

A

Fossil fuels can also release sulfur dioxide - as most coal and oil have sulfur impurities
Why is sulfur dioxide bad?
In the atmosphere, the sulfur dioxide combines with the water to form acid rain
Acid rain can damage buildings, and can damage plants, and they can build up in lakes and other bodies of water, leading to bio-accumulation of chemicals in living organisms (each fish has some sulfur, if a lion has 20 fish for one meal it gets twenty times that much sulfur inside itself, and the elephant that eats three lion also gets thrice that etc.)

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13
Q

how can sulfer be dealt with (2)

A

Sulfur can be removed from the fuels - increases energy production prices
Sulfur dioxide can be removed from the waste gases by lining the chimneys of the factories with calcium carbonate or calcium oxide (the sulfur dioxide reacts with this instead of going into the atmosphere) - high maintenance

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14
Q

how do fossil fuels help us

A

Fossil fuels (like crude oil) have given us lots of valuable materials (like polyethene)

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15
Q

which elements are especially radioactive

A

Nuclear energy’s fuel is radioactive elements - specifically uranium and plutonium

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16
Q

is nuclear energy reneweable

A

Nuclear energy is non-renewable as uranium is a limited resource - it was made before the solar system was made, so every uranium we use can never be obtained again

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17
Q

what are the advantages of nucleur energy (3)

A

Advantages:
Very high energy output per kg of fuel
Clean energy - it has no carbon dioxide or any other gas emissions
Cost per unit of electricity is low

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18
Q

what are the disadvantages of nucleur energy (2)

A

Disadvantages:
Produces radioactive waste which is hard to deal with and is very dangerous - accidents with nuclear plants cause a lot of risks to life and quality of life (Chernobyl)
Nuclear power stations are expensive to build

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19
Q

why is wood not a good use of energy

A

Renewable source of energy: Wood - don’t get as much energy, releases carbon emissions when burned and is more valuable for other purposes

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20
Q

how is hydroelectric power harnessed

A

HEP - hydroelectric power
A dam or reservoir is built at a height, which collects a huge body of water over a period of time
Once a sufficient amount of water is collected, the water is released in one go
This water falls, turning turbines, driving generators, generating electricity
GPE –> KE

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21
Q

What are the advanyages of hydroelectric power (4)

A

Advantages of HEP:
No carbon emissions
Renewable
Cheap to run once it’s built
Some dams have a system where they use any surplus energy to pump water back up

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22
Q

what are the disadvantages of HEP
(4)

A

Disadvantages:
Visual pollution
Expensive to build
Large area required –> destroys habitats
Hard to find suitable locations

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23
Q

how does tidal power work

A

Tidal Power:
Moon causes tides - it makes the level of the sea rise and then fall (imagine at noon you were on a beach in front of the cliff, but by sunset the sea is hitting against the cliff)

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24
Q

how is tidal power harnessed

A

You place turbines/generators on the beach, so that as the tide moves in, it turns the turbines and drives the generators

25
what are the disadvanatges on tidal power (5)
Disadvantages: Energy is not available on demand Visual pollution Cannot be used everywhere Can kill flora and fauna There are also tidal stream turbines - underwater wind turbines - the turbines are turned by tidal currents
26
what are the advantages of tidal (2)
Advantages: renewable No carbon emissions
27
how is wave energy harnessed
Wave Energy: The rising and falling motion of the waves are used to drive a turbine, which turns a generator. One way this is used is an oscillating water column system KE--->Electric energy
28
what are the advantages of wave energy (3)
Advantages: Renewable All water energy is clean energy - there are no emissions, no waste Once it’s built, it’s cheap to run
29
what are the disadvantages of wave energy (4)
Disadvantages: Visual pollution Expensive to set up Few areas are suitable for this Can kill flora and fauna The energy you get from this is very low power
30
how is wind energy harnessed
Wind Energy: Wind energy has been used in the olden times in windmills - in the windmill wind is used to grind corn into flour, and also to power a pump which drains the lowland areas (if they flood etc).
31
what are the advantages of wave energy
Advantages easy to harness, not much equipment needed
32
what are the disadvantages of wave energy (6)
Disadvantages cant be accessed voluntarily only can be harnessed in windy places people may say turnbines ruin a landscapes view - visual pollution Wind farms can damage the environment Noise pollution Kill birds and bats The wind drives a turbine, which turns the generator, generating electricity
33
how is solar enery harnessed
Solar Energy: Solar energy uses solar panels, which contain solar cells
34
how do the cells in solar panels work
Solar cells are called photovoltaic cells These cells transfer light energy into electrical energy PV cells are 15% efficient - but now they are being made more efficient, and being made cheaper, which is allowing for more solar farms to be made
35
advantages of solar (4)
Advantages: Very appealing, public can give power back to grid and get paid Renewable energy No greenhouse emissions Cheap to run once built
36
disadvantages of solar (4)
Disadvantages requires large peice of land not efficient, only 15 percent cant be harnessed voluntarily - so it is unreliable there are few areas suitable toxic chemicals in solar cells can damage habitats expensive to build
37
how do satellites get energy
satellites in space, and the hubble space telescope are both powered using PV cells and solar energy
38
how to solar power stations use water for energy
Solar power stations use concave mirrors/panels, to focus sunlight/energy on a boiler of water - the steam produced rises, and drives a turbine which turns a generator In solar farms/ solar power stations, panels are controlled by a computer, so that they adjust with the sun’s trajectory across the sky in order to capture as much as light as possible
39
why is copper used on solar farms, refer to KJ diagram
Copper is used on solar farms as it is a very good thermal conductor
40
why is air within the glass layer in solar farms refer to KJ diagram
The glass layer is used to trap air, as it is a very good insulator, so it will trap heat well
41
why are the copper pipes within solar farm matt black refer to KJ diagram
The pipes and sheet have a matt black layer as this is the best for absorbing heat radiation This is a method of heating water without using energy from other non-renewable sources
42
what is geothermal energy
Geothermal energy = geo = earth and thermal = heat --> heat energy within the
43
how are volcanic areas of the earth volcanic
Earth - The hottest areas in the Earth are found in volcanic areas The volcanic areas are heated by the decay of radioactive elements like uranium. Another radioactive element is plutonium
44
how do geothermal plants harness the thermal energy
In geothermal plants, a pathway is dug deep into the Earth to reach the areas of high thermal energy. Water is pumped down to this hot area --> the water becomes steam Steam rises, driving a turbine, turning a generator, generating electricity The steam is collected at the top, and once it becomes water again it is pumped back down
45
what is an example of geothermal energy being harnessed
EXAMPLE: In Iceland, in some areas there are geysers and springs where the water is naturally geothermally heated - this naturally heated water can be used to drive turbines in power plants This hot water can be sent directly to houses to heat them up
46
what are the advantages of geothermal plants
Advantages: Renewable No carbon emissions/no pollution Once it’s built to cheap
47
what are the disadvantages of geothermal plants
Disadvantages: Expensive to build Not many suitable to do this --> geothermal heat is not available in many areas
48
what happens to demand for energy
The demand for energy is always changing - even on a day to day basis - highest in the mornings when everyone turns their kettle on, or on a seasonal level, in the winter when starts to use heating, and as the days are shorter we use more hours of light
49
why cant nuclaur energy meet energy requirements on demand
Nuclear energy cannot meet energy requirements on demand --> the process of the fission reaction and heating up the core takes a long time
50
are fossil fuels quicker than nuclaur
Fossil fuel stations are quicker than nuclear energy - gas is the fastest to supply energy, then oil and then coal, which takes the longest time
51
how are hydroelectric power stations adapted to adap to energy demand
HEP - can respond very quickly to changes in national energy demand - they are able to ‘store’ electrical energy
52
how do hydroelectric power stations store energy
Once all the water has come down, HEP stations can use any ‘extra energy’ generated in other power stations (power stations that use other forms like coal) to pump the water back up to the reservoir. The reason why this is ‘storing’ energy is because when you use energy to pump the water back to the resevoir, you are transferring energy to GPE store. Then, when that energy is needed, you can let the water out, transferring the energy BACK from GPE to electrical.
53
why cant wind energy by relied o generate on demand energy
Wind energy can’t be relied on to generate electricity when it’s needed as it is dependent on the presence, strength, direction and frequency of wind.
54
why is tidal energy good- hint the morning and evening
A benefit with tidal energy is that it’s predictable - you know when you will be able to harness this energy
55
what is nucleur energy disadvanatge (3)
Nuclear energy power plants cost a LOT - the fuel is very expensive, and there are very high start up costs AND very high decomissioning costs - radioactive waste is very dangerous so this needs to be managed very carefully. Pay back time - how long before you make a profit Pay back time for a nuclear power plant is long
56
what is an advanatge of nucelur (1)
The running costs of a nuclear power plant are low
57
what is payback time
Pay back time = how long before you make a profit Pay back time for a nuclear power plant is long
58
what is a disadvantage of windfarms relative to payback time
The start up costs and maintenance of a wind farm both costs low, BUT the pay back time is long as the amount of energy generated by wind farms is relatively low
59

Physics (11 decks)

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