energy resources (unit 7) Flashcards
Identify and determine hydroelectricity. List advantages and disadvantages
Hydro-electricity is done by moving water in a
hydro-electric generating station.
Advantages: Does not require burning fossil fuels,
therefore does not produce air pollution. It is a renewable resource through the water cycle.
Disadvantages: Plants are costly to build – requires a lot of cement.
Suitable sites where there is enough water and elevation are often far away from the areas where the electricity is needed. This means that costly transmission lines must be built.
Identify and determine thermal electricity. List advantages and disadvantages
Thermal-electric generation station uses expanding steam to turn the turbines, which then causes the generator to turn.
Advantages: Plants can be built where electricity is needed (doesn’t need to be by a water source) Plants are less expensive to build than hydro or nuclear-electric plants.
Disdavantages: Fuel costs are high. Oil, natural gas, and coal are non-renewable resources and will run out eventually.
Identify and determine nuclear electricity. List advantages and disadvantages
Nuclear-electric generating stations are
similar to thermal plants because it also uses expanding steam to generatepower, but the way they create steam
is different.
Advantages: Plants can be built where electricity is needed (doesn’t need to be by a water source), Plants are less expensive to build than hydro or nuclear-electric plants.
Disadvantages: Fuel costs are high. Oil, natural gas, and coal are non-renewable resources and will run out eventually.
Explain how oil and gas is created.
Oil and gas are normally found together. They were formed hundreds of millions of years ago when areas of Canada were
covered by the ocean. Over a period of millions of years, the remains of marine animals and plants fell to
the sea floor – in other words, their fossils. They accumulated in thick layers, and eventually were covered by layers of sand
and silt. Over time, the weight of these layers compressed into sedimentary rock. Bacteria, heat, and pressure converted the remains of the animals and plants into oil and gas.
Explain oil sands. How are they different than conventional crude oil?
A deposit of loose sand or partially consolidated sandstone containing petroleum or other hydrocarbons. Oil sands are likely to become an increasingly important source of oil because the reserves of oil sands are larger than those of
conventional oil.
Explain the problem with using fossil fuels on our environment.
As we’ve learned, the drilling, production, and transportation of fossil fuels have a profound effect on the environment by
polluting soil, water and air.
