P3 - Energy resources

Question 1

What are the 9 main energy resources?

Answer 1

-geothermal
-solar
-tidal
-hydroelectric
-waves
-nuclear
-fossil fuels (coal/oil/gas)
-biofuel
-wind

geosolar tidal hydrowaves nuke the fossils with biowind

Question 2

What is a renewable energy resource?

Answer 2

one that is being/can be replenished faster than it can be used

Question 3

What is energy used for in the modern day world?

Answer 3

-transport
-electricity generation
-domestic uses (heating)

Question 4

Describe a fossil fuel power station:

Answer 4

-fuel is burnt to heat water in a boiler
-water produces steam, turns turbine that turns an electricity generator

Question 5

Pros and cons of fossil fuels:

Answer 5

-high output, can be stored

-non renewable, GG’s, high fuel cost, mining it is destructive

Question 6

Describe biofuel and give examples:

Answer 6

any fuel taken from a (recently) living organism (eg animal waste, ethanol from fermented sugar cane, vegetable oils)

Question 7

Pros and cons of biofuels:

Answer 7

-low cost + can be used to reduce food waste
-renewable + carbon neutral (the CO2 taken in by the organism balances the CO2 released)

-low power output + releases CO2

Question 8

How does a nuclear power station generate energy?

Don’t describe the process of fission

Answer 8

-fission of U/Pu releases energy that heats a coolant fluid as it leaves the reactor core

-flows to a heat exchanger, heat is used to boil water, and the steam turns a turbine

Question 9

Pros and cons of nuclear power:

Answer 9

-high power output with small fuel + no emissions

-high fuel cost, nuclear waste, expensive to (de)commission

Question 10

Describe wind power:

Answer 10

wind turns blades, that turn an electricity generator

Question 11

Pros and cons of wind power:

Answer 11

-can be built at sea
-no emissions/fuel costs, renewable

-unreliable, low power output + visual pollution

Question 12

Describe wave power:

Answer 12

water motion used to turn turbine on a floating generator

Question 13

Pros and cons of wave power:

Answer 13

-no emissions/fuel costs

-only suitable in coastal areas + disrupts other activities on coast
(same as tidal)

Question 14

Describe hydroelectric power:

Answer 14

-water that runs downhill turns a turbine (eg dams on reservoirs)

-can be used as a pumped storage scheme

Question 15

Describe a pumped storage scheme:

Answer 15

-can put excess energy to use, pumps water back up dam to reservoir
-can be used to meet higher energy demands

Question 16

Pros and cons of hydroelectric power:

Answer 16

-no emissions/fuel costs
-reliable

-limited locations + environmental impact

Question 17

Describe tidal power:

Answer 17

water trapped at high tides to turn turbines

Question 18

Pros and cons of tidal power:

Answer 18

-no emissions/fuel costs

-only suitable in coastal areas + disrupts other activities on coast
(same as wave)

Question 19

Describe the 2 types of solar energy:

Answer 19

-solar photovoltaic cells convert sunlight to electrical current

-solar heating panels aims at a solar power tower to heat water, OR heats water in panel by solar radiation, used to supply hot water/heat building

Question 20

Pros and cons of solar energy:

Answer 20

-no emissions/fuel costs

-PV panels are expensive, inefficient/low power output + unreliable

Question 21

Describe geothermal energy:

Answer 21

uses heat + radioactive decay (in rocks) from Earth’s crust to heat water that is circulated

Question 22

Pros and cons of geothermal energy:

Answer 22

-water can be used directly for heating
-no emissions/fuel costs

-expensive to build + needs certain geological conditions

Question 23

How is energy demand dealt with?

Answer 23

-base load (nuclear, coal/oil), constant + long startup

-variable load (renewables)

-gas fired power stations + pumped storage can meet small fluctuations in demand, near instant startup

Question 24

Name 4 aspects that should be considered when evaluating a source of energy:

Answer 24

-reliability
-power output
-cost
-pollution/waste products (and their environmental impacts)

Question 25

Why is it important that we transition to renewables?

Answer 25

-reduce dependency on fossil fuels
-reduce effect of GG emissions on global warming
-to provide back-up energy at times of high demand

Question 26

Why is using gas-fired power stations better than coal-fired ones?

Answer 26

-burning coal releases particulates (causes global dimming) and more GGs (eg SO₂)
-coal mining is more destructive than gas mining

Question 27

Why might solar panels not be able to meet all of the UK’s demand of energy?

Answer 27

-large area of land is needed to be covered with solar panels due to its low useful power output
-unreliable so at times it couldn’t supply the whole of the UK

Question 28

A power station doesn’t always run at maximum capacity, why is this?

Answer 28

-conserves fuel reserves
-spare capacity to compensate for unreliable renewable resources
-to avoid making an unnecessary environmental impact with GG’s