P1.2 Electrical energy and energy resources Flashcards
What is power
The rate of doing work - how much work is done per second
What is the equation that links power, energy transferred and time?
Power = Energy transferred / time
What is the equation that links power, work done and time?
Power = work done / time
What are renewable energy resources
Renewable energy resources won’t run out - they can be reused or replenished
What are non-renewable energy resources
Non-renewable energy resources will run out one day
List the non-renewable energy resources
coal, oil, gas and nuclear
List the renewable energy resources
solar, waves, bio-fuels, geothermal, wind, hydro-electricity and tides
What are advantages/disadvantages of fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas)?
+ Reliable
- Carbon dioxide when burnt
What are advantages/disadvantage of nuclear power?
+ Reliable
+ No green house gasses released
+ Large amount of energy per kg
- Nuclear waste is dangerous and difficult to get rid of
- Risk of nuclear accident e.g. like Fukushima
What are advantages/disadvantages of solar power?
+ Cheap once set up
+ No pollution once set up
- Not reliable - not always sunny
- Can’t increase power output to meet demand
What are the advantages/disadvantages of wave power?
+ No pollution once set up
- Destroy habitats of animals on the seabed
- Fairly unreliable as waves die down when the wind drops
What are bio-fuels?
Bio-fuels are fuels created from plant products or animal dung - they can be burnt to produce electricity
What are the advantages/disadvantages of bio-fuels?
+ carbon neutral
+ Crops can be grown all year
- They produce carbon dioxide when burnt
- Large areas of forest can be cleared to grow biofuels
What is geothermal energy?
Uses energy from hot rocks below the earth’s surface to heat water.
What are the advantages/disadvantages of geothermal energy?
+ Very reliable, hot rocks are always hot
+ Energy free once built
- Not available everywhere in the world
