P1.5 Generation And Transmission Of Electricity

Question 1

What is electricity?

Answer 1

A flow of charge around a circuit.

Question 2

What is current?

Answer 2

The rate of the flow of charge around a circuit.

Question 3

What is voltage?

Answer 3

An electrical pressure giving a measure of the energy transferredx.

Question 4

What is a.c.?

Answer 4

Alternating current, which keeps changing the direction of flow.

Question 5

What id d.c.?

Answer 5

Direct current, which always flows in the same direction.

Question 6

What is electrical power?

Answer 6

The energy transferred per second.

Question 7

What is the formula for power?

Answer 7

Power = Current * Voltage

P=I*V

Question 8

What is the name of the process generator use to generate electricity?

Answer 8

Electromagnetic induction.

Question 9

How is electricity generated?

Answer 9

By moving a magnet in a coil of wire.

Question 10

What factors can affect peak voltage and current?

Answer 10

The strength of the magnet
The area of the coil
The number of turns on the coil
The speed of movement.

Question 11

What electricity is produced through electromagnetic induction?

Answer 11

Alternating current.

Question 12

What is a dynamo?

Answer 12

A type of generator where the coil of wire turns rather than the magnet.

Question 13

What are the non-renewable sources of energy?

Answer 13

Coal
Oil
Natural gas
Nuclear fuels (Uranium and Plutonium)

Question 14

What are the environmental problems with fossil fuels?

Answer 14

They release lots of Carbon Dioxide
Coal and oil releases sulphur dioxide, which causes acid rain
Coal mining makes a mess of the landscape
Oil spillages cause serious environmental problems.

Question 15

What are the problems of using nuclear fuels?

Answer 15

Nuclear waste is very difficult to dispose of and very dangerous
The cost is high due to the building and decommissioning costs of the power plant
It carries the risk of major disaster, like Chernobyl.

Question 16

What are the basic stages of a power plant?

Answer 16

Boiler
Turbine
Generator
Grid

Question 17

What is the difference between a regular boiler and a nuclear boiler?

Answer 17

The nuclear one uses nuclear fission reactions to generate the heat needed.

Question 18

Why are non-renewable energy sources preferred to renewable sources?

Answer 18

They are more reliable and provide more energy.

Question 19

What is hydroelectricity?

Answer 19

Rainwater is caught and then released through turbines when desired. This generates a large amount of electricity on demand.

Question 20

What is wave power?

Answer 20

When waves are used to push air through a turbine. It is unreliable as it depends on the wind to generate the waves. It is not used on a large scale.

Question 21

What are tidal barrages?

Answer 21

When big dams are built across estuaries of rivers. The water is allowed through at a controlled speed to generate electricity. It can only be used at a few specific estuaries, but has the potential to generate a significant amount of energy.