Final Exam Semester 2 Flashcards
A photovoltaic material compressed into an ultra-thin lightweight sheet that may be incorporated into various surfaces to produce photovoltaic solar power.
Thin-film Solar Cells
a device designed to collect sunlight and directly convert it to electrical energy by making use of the photoelectric effect
Photovoltaic Cells
an approach where buildings are designed and building materials are chosen to maximize direct absorption of sunlight in winter and to keep the interior cool in the summer
Passive Solar Energy Collection
A potential energy source that involves harnessing the solar radiation absorbed by tropical oceans in the tropics.
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
Syndrome in which people do not want something near where they live, even if they may want or need the thing to exist somewhere.
not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY)
Process by which homeowners or businesses with photovoltaic systems or wind turbines can sell their excess solar energy or wind power to their local utility.
Net-metering
A pump that harnesses geothermal energy from near-surface sources of earth and water, in order to heat and cool buildings. Operates on the principle that temperatures below ground are more stable than temperatures above ground.
Ground source heat pump
A program of public policy intended to promote renewable energy investment, whereby utilities are mandated to purchase electricity from homeowners or businesses that generate power from renewable energy sources and feed it into the electric grid. Under such a system, utilities must pay guaranteed premium prices for this power under long-term contract.
Feed-in tariff
A new approach whereby engineers drill deeply into rock, fracture it, pump in water, and then pump it out once it is heated below ground.
Enhanced Geothermal Sytems
a means of generating electricity at a large scale by focusing sunlight from a large area onto a smaller area
Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)
an approach in which technological devices are used to focus, move, or store solar energy
Active Solar Energy Collection
a solid aggregation of minerals
Rock
a naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a crystal structure and a definite chemical composition
Mineral
systematic removal of rock, soil, or other material for the purpose of extracting minerals of economic interest
Mining
a mineral or grouping of minerals from which we extract metals
Ore
portions of ore left over after metals have been extracted in mining
Tailings
A process in which ore is heated beyond its melting point and combined with other metals or chemicals, in order to form metal with desired characteristics.
Smelting
a disposal method for hazardous waste or mining waste in which waste in liquid or slurry form is placed into a shallow depression lined with impervious material such as clay and allowed to evaporate, leaving a solid residue on the bottom
Surface Impoundment
the act of restoring a mining site to an approximation of its pre-mining condition
Reclamation
U.S. law that legalized and promoted mining by private individuals on public lands for just $5 per acre, subject to local customs, with no government oversight.
General Mining Act of 1872
The breakdown of a radioactive element, releasing particles and energy
Radioactive Decay
A radioactive isotope that emits subatomic particles and high-energy radiation as it “decays” into progressively lighter isotopes until becoming a stable isotope.
Radioisotopes
a particle with the mass of an electron but a positive charge
Positron
The amount of time it takes for 50% of the atoms to admit radiation and decay
Half-life
a device that uses a gas-filled metal tube to detect radiation
Geiger counter
-Includes x-rays, needs heavier shielding, greater range
-Food industry - kill microbes & delay ripening
-Engineering & construction
-Nuclear reactors
Gamma Radiation
the conversion of the energy within an atom’s nucleus to usable thermal energy by forcing together the small nuclei of lightweight elements under high temperature and pressure
Nuclear Fusion
the conversion of the energy within an atom’s nucleus to usable thermal energy by splitting apart atomic nuclei
Nuclear Fission
A fast-moving electron that is given off as nuclear radiation
Beta Particle
a helium nucleus emitted by some radioactive substances, originally regarded as a ray. 2 protons, 2 neutrons
Alpha Particle
A technique used to generate hydroelectric power, in which water is pumped from a lower reservoir to a higher reservoir when power demand is weak and prices are low. When demand is strong and prices are high, water is allowed to flow downhill through a turbine, generating electricity.
Pumped Storage
Any of the several methods used to create hydropower without disrupting river flow
Run-of-River
Technique used to generate hydroelectric power, in which large amounts of water are impounded in a reservoir behind a concrete damn and then passed through the dam to turn the turbine engines to make electricity
Storage
hydroelectric power
Hydropower
the generation of electricity using the kinetic energy of moving water
Hydroelectric Power
ethanol produced from the cellulose in plant tissues by treating it with enzymes
Cellulosic Ethanol
diesel fuel produced by mixing vegetable oil, used cooking grease, or animal fat with small amounts of ethanol or methanol in the presence of a chemical catalyst
Biodiesel
The alcohol in beer, wine, and liquor, produced as a biofuel by fermenting biomass, generally from carbohydrate-rich crops such as corn.
Ethanol
fuel produced from biomass energy sources and used primarily to power automobiles
Biofuels
power attained by combusting bioenergy sources to generate electricity
Biopower
Energy harnessed from plant and animal matter, including wood from trees, charcoal from burned wood, and combustible animal waste products, such as cattle manure. Fossil fuels are not considered biomass energy sources because their organic matter has not been part of living organisms for millions of years and has undergone considerable chemical alteration since that time.
Biomass Energy
760mm Hg or torr
Torr
1 atm
Standard Atmosphere
SI unit for pressure, 101325Pa
Pascal
the SI base unit used to measure the amount of a substance 6.02214 × 1023
Mole
the degree of compactness of a substance. mass/volume
Density
V1/T1= V2/T2. Tempature and volume, direct
Charles’ Law
Volume and pressure V1xP1= V2xP2, indirect
Boyle’s Law
An instrument that measures atmospheric pressure
Barometer
Volume and number of moles , V1/n1= V2/n2 (moles), direct
Avogadro’s Law
The coldest temperature, 0 Kelvin, that can be reached. It is the hypothetical temperature at which all molecular motion stops
Absolute 0
one of a large group of potentially harmful organic chemicals used in industrial processes. 6 major pollutants whose emissions are monitored by EPA
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
A departure from the normal temperature distribution in the atmosphere, in which a pocket of relatively cold air occurs near the ground, with warmer air above it. The cold air, denser than the air above it, traps pollutants near the ground and can thereby cause a buildup of smog. Also called a thermal inversion.
Temperature Inversion
brown-air smog caused by light-driven reactions of primary pollutants with normal atmospheric compounds that produce a mix of over 100 different chemicals, ground-level ozone often being the most abundant among them
Photochemical Smog
airborne chemicals, such as halocarbons, that destroy ozone molecules and thin the ozone layer in the stratosphere
Ozone-depleting Substances
A thin layer of gases surrounding Earth
Atmosphere
the band of air in which temperature rises with altitude
Inversion Layer
gray-air smog caused by the incomplete combustion of coal or oil when burned
Industrial Smog
human-made chemical compounds derived from hydrocarbons and hydrogen is replaced by chlorine, bromine, or fluorine. Ozone depleting substance
Halocarbons
the apparent deflection of north-south air currents to a partly east-west direction, caused by the faster spin of regions near the equator than of regions near the poles as a result of Earth’s rotation
Coriolis Effect
A type of halo carbon consisting of only chlorine fluorine, carbon and hydrogen. Used for fridges fire extinguishers, aerosols, cleaners, etc. Destroys o-zone and they are an o-zone depleting substance.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
