Natural resources Flashcards
Natural Resource
Any natural material that is used by humans used by humans, such as water, petroleum, minerals, forests, and animals.
Renewable Resource
a natural resource that can be replaced at the same rate at which the resources is consumed
Nonrenewable Resource
a resource that forms at a rate that is much slower than the rate at which it is consumed
Fossil Fuels
made from decomposing plants and animals
Nuclear Fission
a reaction in which the nucleus of an atom splits into two or more smaller nuclei
Nuclear Fusion
two atoms are combined at high temperatures
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle
are powered by hydrogen
Solar Energy
radiant energy emitted by the sun
wind energy
describes the process by which the wind is used to generate mechanical power or electricity
Hydroelectric energy
a form of renewable energy that uses the power of moving water to generate electricity
Biomass
the total mass of organisms in a given area or volume
Ethanol
a colorless volatile flammable liquid which is produced by the natural fermentation of sugars; alcohol
Geothermal Energy
a type of renewable energy taken from the Earth’s core
Petroleum
a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons that is present in certain rock strata and can be extracted and refined to produce fuels including gasoline, kerosene, and diesel oil; oil
Natural Gas
flammable gas, consisting largely of methane and other hydrocarbons, occurring naturally underground (often in association with petroleum) and used as fuel
