Renewable and non-renewable energy Flashcards
What is a fossil fuel?
A hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the earths crust from the remains of dead plants and animals
- Burned to provide heat (e.g. cooking, power engines and electricity)
Name the 3 fossil fuels
Coal (solid)
Crude oil (liquid)
Natural gas (gas)
How long does it take fossil fuels to form?
Millions of years
Advantages and disadvantages of fossil fues
- Cheap
- Can be used in any conditions
-Limited resource
-Produce carbon dioxide when burned (global warming)
- Sometimes produce toxic gases when burned such as sulfer dioxide
What is nuclear energy?
Nuclear energy is energy obtained via nuclear reactions, such as nuclear fission reaction in nuclear power stations
This energy can be used to generate electricity wwhich can then be transmitted to homes and factories across the country
Advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy
-Nuclear fuels do not produce any pollutants
-Can be used in any condition
-Limited to run out but not for a long time
-Finite resource
-Nuclear power stations produce radioactive waste which is harmful for thousands of years so must be stored carefully
-Its quite expensive
- Small chance of nuclear meltdown
What are biofuels?
Fuels that are made from recently living organisms
They come from plants or algae which can lock up the suns energy which can then be released later when we burn them for fuels
Advantages and disadvantages of biofuels
-Renweable (re-grow)
-Easy to transport
-Mix them with fossil fuels
-Cheap to make
-Needs a place to grow (may need to cut down trees)
-Harvesting of the plant all require energy
How are bio fuels carboon neutral?
They require the same amount of co2 needed to grow as the amount relased when they are burned
What is wind power?
Wind power is generated by wind turbines which have blades that spin due to the wind. This spinning action turns a generator which produces electricity.
Explain wind turbines in term of energy?
Wind turbines convert the kinetic energy from the wind into electrical energy
Advantages and disadvantages of wind power
-Low running cost
-Don’t cause any damage
-High upfront costs
-Dependent on the weather (needs wind)
-Don’t look nice
-Take up alot of space
What is solar power?
Solar power is generated by solar cells or solar panels which can generate electricity directly from sunlight.
Advantages and disadvantages
-Renewable
-Low running costs
-Don’t produce pollutants
-Need lots of space
-Dependent on the weather
What is hydroelectricity?
As water flows downhill (e.g. from mountains), a hydroelectric dam will trap the water in a man made lake, which is also known as a reservoir.
Then whenever water is released through the dam, it spins turbines which are connected to generators, and so produce electricity.
The water can then return to the river on the downstream side of the dam.
