Physics Flashcards
Name non-renewable resources
Nuclear energy
Fossil fuels
Oil
Natural gas
Coal
Name renewable resources
Wind energy
Solar energy
Hydroelectricity
Solae energy
Tidal
Wave
Bio fuels
What are biofuels?
Biofuels is any fuel taken from living or recent living organisms. Animal waste is an example. They are renewable and carbon neutral
What is nuclear power?
It takes energy from atoms. The fuel in nuclear power station is uranium or plutonium. It is known to be clean and emits no carbon. It produces radioactive waste that needs to be stored for many years.
What is wind power
The force of the wind drives the turbine’s blades around. This turns a
generator. The power generated increases as the wind speed increases.
Wind turbines are unreliable because when there is little or no wind they
do not generate any electricity.
A uwind turbine is an electricity generator at the top of a narrow
What is wave power
A wave generator uses the waves to make a floating generator move up and down. This motion turns the generator so it generates electricity. . Wave generators need to withstand storms, and they don’t produce a constant supply of electricity. Also, lots of cables (and buildings) are needed along the coast to connect the wave generators to the electricity grid. This can spoil areas of coastline.
What is hydroelectric power?
Hydroelectricity can be generated when rainwater that’s collected in a reservoir (or water in a pumped storage scheme) flows downhill.
The flowing water drives turbines that turn electricity generators at the bottom of the hill.
What is tidal power
A tidal power station traps water from each high tide behind a barrage.
The high tide can then be released into the sea through turbines. The turbines drive generators in the barrage.
Geothermal energy
- Geothermal energy comes from energy released by radioactive substances deep within the earth
- The energy transferred from these radioactive substances heats surrounding rock
- so energy is transferred by heating towards the earths surface
- built in volcanic areas
State the advantages of nulear power
• No greenhouse gases (unlike fossil fuel).
• Much more energy is transferred from each kilogram of uranium (or plutonium) fuel than from fossil fuel.
State the disadvantages of nuclear power
• Used fuel rods contain radioactive waste, which has to be stored safely for centuries.
• Nuclear reactors are safe in normal operation. However, an explosion
in a reactor could release radioactive material over a wide area. This would affect this area, and the people living there, for many years.
State the advantages of renewable resorces
• They will never run out because they are always being replenished by
natural processes.
• They do not produce greenhouse gases or acid rain.
• They do not create radioactive waste products.
• They will never run out because they are always being replenished by
natural processes.
• They do not produce greenhouse gases or acid rain.
• They do not create radioactive waste products.
State the disadvantages of renewable energy.
• Renewable energy resources are not currently able to meet the world demand. So fossil fuels are still needed to provide some of the energy demand.
• Wind turbines create a whining noise that can upset people nearby, and some people consider them unsightly.
• Tidal barrages affect river estuaries and the habitats of creatures and plants there.
• Hydroelectric schemes need large reservoirs of water, which can affect nearby plant and animal life. Habitats are often flooded to create dams.
• Solar cells need to cover large areas to generate large amounts of power.
• Some renewable energy resources are not available all the time or can be unreliable. For example, solar power is not produced at night and is affected by cloudy weather. Wind power is reduced when there is little or no wind, and hydroelectricity is affected by droughts if reservoirs dry up.
What is a problem with hydroelectric energy?
Upland reservoir could dry
What is a problem with Wind,waves?
Wind and waves too weak on calm days
