P3 Flashcards
1
Q
fossil fuels
A
- oil
- coal
- natural gas
2
Q
renewable energy sources
A
- The sun
- Wind
- Water waves
- Hydro-electricity
- Biofuel
- Geothermal
3
Q
transport
A
Non renewable energy sources;
- petrol/diesel powered vehicles use fuel from oil
- coal is used in old fashioned steam trains to boil water and produce steam
4
Q
biofuels
A
- a fuel taken from living or recently living organisms
- methane and ethanol can be used to generate electricity
- renewable and carbon neutral
5
Q
nuclear power
A
uranium or plutonium is used as the fuel in a nuclear power station
- more energy is released per kg compared to fossil fuels
6
Q
wind power
A
- electricity generator
- wind force drives blades around
- power increases when wind increases speed
- unreliable because no powers generated when there is little to no wind
7
Q
wave power
A
- generate electricity by turning a floating generator
- waves die out when wind drops so unreliable
- expensive
8
Q
Hydroelectric power
A
- generators are turned by water running downhill
- causes flooding and loos of habitats
- minimal running costs
- provides immediate response to electricity demand
9
Q
Tidal power
A
- tidal power station traps each high tide and uses it to turn generators
-underwater cables are used to connect these to the national grid - reliable
- minimal running costs
10
Q
solar cells
A
- flat solid cells that use the suns energy to generate electricity directly
- expensive
- useful for small amounts of electricity needed
11
Q
solar heating pannals
A
- use the suns energy to heat water directly
- water in tank is turned to steam through solar radiation
- steam turns electricity generators
- not good in cloudy areas
12
Q
geothermal power
A
- energy comes from the energy transferred by radioactive substances deep inside the Earth
- only possible in volcanic areas
- reliable
- expensive
- water pumped into hot rocks underground produces steam to drive turbines at surface to generate electricity
13
Q
fossil fuel problems
A
- fossil fuels produce increased levels of greenhouse gases causing global warming
- non renewable
14
Q
nuclear power
A
- no greenhouse gases
- produces radioactive waste
- explosions effect area
- much more energy is transferred from each kg of uranium that from fossil fuels
15
Q
renewable energy sources
A
- never run out
- don’t produce greenhouse gases
- don’t create radioactive waste
- don’t meet worlds demand
- wind turbines are noisy
- unreliable sometimes
16
Q
supply and demand
A
- renewable energy when conditions are suitable
- gas fired power stations and pumped storage stations can meet variations in demand
17
Q
cost comparisons
A
- nuclear power stations are expensive to build, run and decommission
- carbon capture of fossil furls emissions ins expensive
- renewable resources are cheap to run but expensive to install
