P2b

Question 1

What is the structure of most power stations?

Answer 1

• boiler uses fuel to produce heat to generate steam
• steam moves the blades of a turbine
• the rotating movement from the turbine is converted to electricity by the generator using electromagnetic conduction

Question 2

What are the advantages of different power sources?

Answer 2

• fossil fuels: readily available, concentrated source of energy
• biomass: renewable, process is carbon neutral overall, doesn’t need to be imported from other countries

Question 3

What are the disadvantages of different power sources?

Answer 3

• fossil fuels: burning causes acid rain and produces carbon dioxide a greenhouse gas, most fossil fuels we have a bought from other countries, so we have no control over the price and supply, finite and non-renewable
• biomass: lots of biomass required to replace one lump of coal, and it takes room to grow

Question 4

What is electromagnetic induction?

Answer 4

-the creation of a voltage (and maybe current) in a wire which is experiencing a change in magnetic field

Question 5

What is the dynamo effect?

Answer 5

-using electromagnetic induction to transform kinetic energy into electrical energy

Question 6

How can voltage and current produced be increased in the dynamo effect?

Answer 6

• strength of magnet
• number of turns on the coil
• speed of movement

Question 7

How do generators work?

Answer 7

• rotate a coil in a magnetic field
• every half turn the current in the coil swaps direction
• meaning an alternating current is produced
• frequency of AC electrical supplies is the number of cycles per second

Question 8

What are different types of energy sources?

Answer 8

• fossil fuels
• biomass
• photocells
• nuclear
• wind power

Question 9

What are some the situations where you get EM induction?

Answer 9

• an electrical conductor (coil of wire often used) moves through a magnetic field
• magnetic field through electrical conductors (gets bigger, smaller or reverses)