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Question 1

What is the main purpose of earth’s Atmosphere

Answer 1

Insulates the earth from the extreme temperatures of space by keeping the heat inside the atmosphere

Question 2

Other than keeping the heat trapped inside, what other role does the atmosphere fulfill

Answer 2

it blocks much of the Sun’s incoming ultraviolet radiation

Question 3

Truth or False : Oxygen is the main component of our earth’s Atmosphere

Answer 3

FALSE, it is actually Nitrogen

Question 4

What percentage of the earth’s atmosphere is composed of Nitrogen

Answer 4

78% of earth’s atmosphere is made of Nitrogen

Question 5

Name the 4 main gaseous elements that make up our earth’s Atmosphere

Answer 5

1. Nitrogen
2. Oxygen
3. Argon
4. Carbon dioxide

Question 6

What percent of earth’s atmosphere is made of oxygen

Answer 6

20.9%

Question 7

Carbon dioxide, the gas causing much of the earth’s global warming, represents what percent of earth’s atmosphere?

Answer 7

only 0.03%

Question 8

what is the state of matter of all the elements that compose the Atmosphere

Answer 8

they are gases, that is why we call the atmosphere a gaseous layer

Question 9

What percent of earth’s atmosphere is composed of Argon

Answer 9

0.90%

Question 10

What are the 3 energy sources that we can harvest from earth’s atmosphere

Answer 10

1. Wind Energy
2. Solar Energy
3. Tidal Energy

Question 11

As wind blows it holds energy, what form is that energy in?

Answer 11

when the wind is blowing, it is holding Kinetic energy (the energy of motion)

Question 12

In which direction does air move when it creates wind

Answer 12

It always moves from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

Question 13

fill in the blank : Wind is the movement of air from an area of _________ pressure to and area of __________ pressure

Answer 13

From and area of high pressure to an area of low pressure

Question 14

As we know, when wind blows, it holds kinetic energy, how can we harvest this energy to use it in powering our needs

Answer 14

We must transform this energy from kinetic energy to a more useful form of energy, either mechanical or electrical

Question 15

What is the goal of a wind turbine

Answer 15

To transform wind’s kinetic energy into electrical energy

Question 16

describe the step by step method we use to harvest the Wind’s energy

Answer 16

1. Wind hits turbines blades (kinetic energy of the wind)
2. this turns the blades of the tubine (mechanical Energy)
3. the turbine is attached to a generator and when we soin the turbine, it spins the generator (mechanical energy)
4. the generator creates electrical energy when it is spun (electrical energy)

Question 17

Name the advantages of Wind energy

Answer 17

• Renewable
• No pollutants

Question 18

Name the disadvantages of wind energy

Answer 18

• cannot be stored
• can be unreliable and unpredictable
• Sound pollution and the blades can hit birds

Question 19

the largest producer of energy in our solar system is the Sun !! We receive some of this energy through Solar energy, what is the main problem with solar energy

Answer 19

harnessing and transforming the energy of the sun is very difficult

Question 20

The amount of solar radiation we receive is quite variable due to 4 main factors, name those factors

Answer 20

1. the absorption and scattering of the solar rays when they hit small particles and molecules in our atmosphere
2. air pollution, water vapour and clouds can block the sun’s rays from reaching the earth’s surface
3. our location on earth in terms of lattitude (the closer we get to the equator, the more energy we receive)
4. the season of the year and the time of day (we have more solar energy in the summer and during the daytime)

Question 21

how does our lattitude on earth affect the amount of solar energy we can harvest

Answer 21

The closer we are to the equator means the sun’s rays hit us more directly, and therefor we receive more rays and therefor more energy!

Question 22

during what season can we harvest more solar energy

Answer 22

during the summer

Question 23

during what time of day can we harvest more solar energy

Answer 23

during the daytime

Question 24

what is the goal of a panel of solar cells

Answer 24

it helps us transform solar energy into electrical energy

Question 25

what are the steps through which a panel of solar cells help us transform solar energy into electrical energy

Answer 25

1. the photovoltaic cells of the solar panel are made of silicon, a semiconductor
2. this material can absorb photons of light
3. when it absorbs the light, it releases an electron
4. when the electron is released it generates electricity !

Question 26

what are the advantages of solar energy

Answer 26

• renewable
• no pollutants

Question 27

What are the disadvantages of solar energy

Answer 27

• costly
• limited by the amount of sun present
• not possible all day long

Question 28

what is the main pre-requesite for tidal energy and is the reason why we cannot produce this energy anywhere in the world

Answer 28

a certain height is needed!!

Question 29

Describe how the earth-moon system causes tides to appear

Answer 29

the gravitation force of the moon pulls water that is on the surface of the earth closest to it and creates a region of HIGH tide on that side and on the opposite side of the earth
this in turn creates regions of LOW tide on the sides of the planet that are not in the axis of the earth-moon system

Question 30

Truth of False : in 24 hours, any given location on earth will experience 1 High tide and 2 low tides

Answer 30

FALSE, a location will have 2 high tides and 2 low tides in 24 hours

Question 31

The moon creates high tides on earth due to its ____________ force

Answer 31

Gravitational

Question 32

What is a spring tide

Answer 32

a spring tide is when the moon and the sun are aligned and therefor create an even higher tide on earth called the spring tide

Question 33

What are the advantages of Tidal energy

Answer 33

• environment-friendly
• a highly predictable energy source
• operational and maintenance costs are low
• Renewable and inexhaustible source of energy

Question 34

What are the disadvantages of Tidal energy

Answer 34

• negative influence on marine life forms
• only possible in a few locations (tide needs to be hugh)
• energy is only produces when there is a tide movement

Question 35

the energy stored in the moving water in tidal energy is what form of energy

Answer 35

any motion is Kinetic Energy!

Question 36

Describe the steps through which we can harvest tidal energy

Answer 36

1. tide holds kinetic energy in the form of moving water
2. we use this kinetic energy to spin a turbine and turn the energy into mechanical energy
3. the turbine is attached to a generator which will also spin (mechanical energy)
4. the spinning generator creates electrical energy !