P3 - Energy Resources

Question 1

3 main fossil fuels

Answer 1

• Coal
• Oil
• Gas

Question 2

Advantages of fossil fuels

Answer 2

• Relaible - provide energy when needed
• Release lots of energy
• Realtively abubant and so relatively cheap
• Versatile - can be used for transport, electricity generation or heating

Question 3

Disadvantages of fossil fuels

Answer 3

• Releases lots of CO2 - contributes to climate change
• Non-renewable resource
• Releases other pollutants leading to acid rain and global dimming

Question 4

How is nuclear power generated

Answer 4

• Unstable uranium or plutonium inside reactor
• Coolant is pumped through core and transfers heat energy to water
• Water turns to steam and this drives a turbine which turns generators

Question 5

Advantages of nuclear power

Answer 5

• Doesn’t release carbon dioxide
• Extremely reliable

Question 6

Disadvantages of nuclear power

Answer 6

• Contains dangerous radioactive material - if there is an accident this can get into the environment
• Decommising a plant is expensive and takes time
• Radioactive waste needs to be stored securely for thousands or years

Question 7

Advantages of burning natural gas instead of coal

Answer 7

• Generates less carbon dioxide
• Flexible + short start up time - can be switched on quickly in periods of high demand

Question 8

What is a baseload electricity provider

Answer 8

• A constant, reliable supply of energy that’s on all the time
• Nuclear power is ideal for this

Question 9

What is a renewable energy resource

Answer 9

A resource that is being replenished and the same or faster rate than as it is being used

Question 10

Advantages of all renewable resources

Answer 10

• Never run out
• Don’t add any carbon dioxide once they are in place

Question 11

Disadvantages of renewable resources

Answer 11

Solar + wind - weather dependant and not reliable
Wind - ‘spoil the view’
Hydroelectric - destroys habitats when dams are built and valleys are flooded
Tidal - harmful to aquatic wildlife
Wave - experimetal

Question 12

Advantages and disadvantages of geothermal

Answer 12

• Advantages - reliable + renewable
• Also don’t produce greenhouse gases
• Disadvantages - location specific
• Can lead to the instability of ground around a geothermal plant

Question 13

How is geothermal energy generated

Answer 13

• Magma has thermal energy which heat rocks
• Rocks heat wtaer turining it into steam
• Steam rotates turbine and turns generator making electricity

Question 14

What is a biofuel and advantages of them

Answer 14

• A fuel taken from organisms e.g. methane from manure or fermented sugar cane
• Advantages - carbon neutral and renewable

Question 15

Advantages and disadvantages of wind power

Answer 15

Advantages - don’t take up much space, renewable energy and relatively cheap to build

Disadvantages - considered ugly/eyesores, cause noise pollution, not reliable and weather dependant

Question 16

Disadvantages of hydroelectric power and how does it work

Answer 16

• High up water has gp energy, This falls, rotates a trubine and turns a generator

Disadvantages - change river paths, destroying habitats and affecting wildlife. Is affected by droughts. Few suitable places to build dams

Question 17

Advantages and disadvantages of tidal power

Answer 17

• Adavantages - renewable, tides are predictable
• Disadvantages - harmful to fragile aquatic ecosystems, doesn’t continously produce electricity, ugly

Question 18

Advantages and disadvantages of solar power

Answer 18

• Advantages - renewable + no greenhouse gases
• Disadvantages - weather dependant, high installation cost, not efficient, large area of land would need to be covered due to low number of daylight hours in the UK