natruel rescorces Flashcards
any natural material that is used by humans, such as water, petroleum, minerals, forests, and animals
Natural Resource
a natural resource that can be replaced at the same rate at which the resource is consumed
Renewable Resource
a resource that forms at a rate that is much slower than the rate at which the resource is consumed
Nonrenewable Resource
the process of recovering valuable or useful materials from waste or scrap; the process of reusing some items
Recycling
a nonrenewable energy resource formed from the remains of organisms that lived long ago; examples include oil, coal, and natural gas
Fossil Fuel
a liquid mixture of complex hydrocarbon compounds; used widely as a fuel source
Petroleum
a mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons located under the surface of the Earth, often near petroleum deposits; used as a fuel
Natural Gas
a combustible sedimentary rock formed by the compaction of partially decomposed plant material
Coal
precipitation, such as rain, sleet, or snow, that contains a high concentration of acids, often because of the pollution of the atmosphere
Acid Precipitation
urban air pollution composed of a mixture of smoke and fog produced from industrial pollutants and burning fuels
Smog
the energy released by a fission or fusion reaction; the binding energy of the atomic nucleus
Nuclear Energy
the energy released when a chemical compound reacts to produce new compounds
Chemical Energy
the energy received by Earth from the sun in the form of radiation
Solar Energy
the use of a windmill to drive an electric generator
Wind Power
electrical energy produced by the flow of water
Hydroelectric Energy
plant material, manure, or any other organic matter that is used as an energy source
Biomass
a mixture of gasoline and alcohol that is used as a fuel
Gasohol
the energy produced by heat within Earth
Geothermal Energy
