National and Global Energy Resources

Question 1

What are the 3 main ways in which we use the Earth’s energy resources?

Answer 1

• Generating electricity
• Heating
• Transport

Question 2

What are examples of fossil fuels?

Answer 2

• Coal
• Oil
• Natural gas

Question 3

What is a reliable energy resource?

Answer 3

One that is available all the time (or at predictable times) and in sufficient quantities

Question 4

What are disadvantages of non-renewable energy resources?

Answer 4

• Not replaced as quickly as they are used
• Will eventually run out
  E.g. Fossil fuels and nuclear fission

Question 5

What are advantages of renewable energy resources?

Answer 5

• Can be replaced at the same rate as they are used
• Will not run out
  E.g. Solar, tidal, wave, wind, geothermal, biofuel, and hydroelectric energies

Question 6

Where is coal, oil and natural gas extracted from?

Answer 6

Underground

Question 7

What are advantages of coal, oil and natural gas?

Answer 7

• Enough available to meet current energy demands
• Reliable - supply can be controlled to meet demand
• Relatively cheap to extract and use

Question 8

What are disadvantages of coal, oil and natural gas?

Answer 8

• Will eventually run out
• Release carbon dioxide when burned - one of the main causes of climate change
• Release other polluting gases, such as sulphur dioxide (from coal and oil) which causes acid rain
• Oil spills in the oceans kill marine life

Question 9

How is nuclear fission sourced?

Answer 9

Mining naturally occurring elements, such as uranium and plutonium

Question 10

What are advantages of nuclear fission?

Answer 10

• No polluting gases or greenhouse gases produced
• Enough available to meet current energy demands
• Large amount of energy transferred from a very small mass of fuel
• Reliable - supply can be controlled to meet demand

Question 11

What are disadvantages of nuclear fission?

Answer 11

Produces nuclear waste which is:
- Dangerous
- Difficult and expensive to dispose of
- Stored for centuries before it is safe to dispose of

Nuclear power plants are expensive to:
- Build and run
- Decommission (shut down)

Question 12

How is solar energy sourced?

Answer 12

• Sunlight transfers energy to solar cells
• Sunlight transfers energy to solar heating panels

Question 13

What are advantages of solar energy?

Answer 13

• Can be used in remote places
• Very cheap to run once installed
• No pollution/greenhouse gases produced

Question 14

What are disadvantages of solar energy?

Answer 14

• Supply depends on weather
• Expensive to buy and install
• Cannot supply large scale demand

Question 15

How is hydroelectric energy sourced?

Answer 15

Water flowing downhill turns generators

Question 16

What are advantages of hydroelectric energy?

Answer 16

• Low running cost
• No fuel cost
• Reliable and supply can be controlled to meet demand

Question 17

What are disadvantages of hydroelectric energy?

Answer 17

• Expensive to build hydroelectric dams
• Flood a large area behind the dam, destroying habitats and resulting in greenhouse gas production from rotting vegetation

Question 18

How is tidal energy sourced?

Answer 18

Turbines on tidal barrages turned by water as the tide comes in and out

Question 19

What are advantages of tidal energy?

Answer 19

• Predictable supply as there are always tides
• Can produce large amounts of electricity
• No fuel costs
• No pollution/greenhouse gases produced

Question 20

What are disadvantages of tidal energy?

Answer 20

Tidal barrages:
- Change marine habitats and can harm animals
- Restrict access and can be dangerous for boats
- Are expensive to build and maintain

Cannot control supply

Supply varies depending on the month

Question 21

How is wave energy sourced?

Answer 21

Floating generators powered by waves moving up and down

Question 22

What are advantages of wave energy?

Answer 22

• Low running costs
• No fuel costs
• No pollution/greenhouse gases produced

Question 23

What are disadvantages of wave energy?

Answer 23

Floating generators:
- Change marine habitats and can harm animals
- Restrict access and can be dangerous for boats
- Are expensive to build, install, and maintain

Depend on weather

Cannot supply large scale demand

Question 24

How is wind energy sourced?

Answer 24

Turbines turned by the wind

Question 25

What are advantages of wind energy?

Answer 25

• Low running cost
• No fuel costs
• No pollution/greenhouse gases produced

Question 26

What are disadvantages of wind energy?

Answer 26

• Supply depends on weather
• Large amounts of land needed to generate enough electricity for large scale demand
• Can produce noise pollution for nearby residents

Question 27

How is geothermal energy sourced?

Answer 27

Radioactive substances deep within the Earth transfer heat energy to the surface

Question 28

What are advantages of geothermal energy?

Answer 28

• Low running costs
• No fuel costs
• No pollution/greenhouse gases produced

Question 29

What are disadvantages of geothermal energy?

Answer 29

• Expensive to set up
• Only possible in a few suitable locations around the world

Question 30

How are biofuels sourced?

Answer 30

Fuel produced from living or recently living organisms, for example, plants and animal waste

Question 31

What are advantages of biofuels?

Answer 31

• Can be carbon neutral - the amount of carbon dioxide released when the fuel is burnt is equal to the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed when the fuel is grown
• Reliable and supply can be controlled to meet demand

Question 32

What are disadvantages of biofuels?

Answer 32

• Expensive to produce
• Growing requires a lot of land and water that could be used for food production
• Can lead to deforestation - forests are cleared to growing biofuel crops