S1 Renewable Energy Flashcards
What is energy?
Energy is the ability to do ‘work.
What is energy measured in?
Joules (J)
What are the 8 forms that energy can take?
Heat
Atomic
Chemical
Kinetic
Electical
Light
Potential (gravitaitonal and elastic)
Sound
This form of energy is the energy of particles moving inside of objects.
We can sense it as something being hot or cold.
What is the form of energy?
Heat energy
This form of energy is energy stored inside of particles, and is released during nuclear reactions.
What is the form of energy?
Atomic energy
This form of energy is the energy stored inside of food and fuels.
What is the form of energy?
Chemical energy
All objects which move have this form of energy.
What is the form of energy?
Kinetic energy
This form of energy comes from the movement of electrons.
What is the form of energy?
Electrical energy
We detect this form of energy with our eyes.
What is the form of energy?
Light energy
Any object stored at a height above the ground has this form of energy.
What is the form of energy?
Gravitational potential energy
All objects which have been stretched from their original position have this type of energy.
What is the form of energy?
Elastic potential energy
This type of energy is produced when objects vibrate.
What is the form of energy?
Sound energy
Which form of energy is given out by a light bulb?
Light energy
(And maybe some heat energy too - but light is the USEFUL energy out)
Which form of energy does an oven give to the food you put in it?
Heat energy
Which form of energy does a battery contain?
Chemical energy
(It gives out electrical energy!)
What is the energy change that takes place in an elastic band when it goes from being stretched to flying through the air when released?
Elastic potential energy -> Kinetic energy
What is the energy change that takes place in a kettle?
Electrical energy –> heat energy
How is a SOURCE of energy different to a FORM of energy.
Energy sources are actual devices which convert some type of energy into electrical energy for us to use.
What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy sources?
Non-renewable sources will one day run out - they are finite.
Renewable sources will never run out - they replenish themselves at the same rate as we use them up.
State 4 non-renewable sources of energy.
Coal
Oil
Natural gas
Nucelar
What are the 3 fossil fuels?
Coal
Oil
Natural gas
What does the word ‘finite’ mean?
Finite means that it will eventually run out because there are limited supplies of it.
How do we make electricity from fossil fuels?
- Fuel is burned in a furnace.
- Water boils and changes into steam.
- The steam turns a turbine.
- The turbine turns a generator which makes electricity.
What is the energy change that takes place when fuel is burned in the furnace?
Chemical energy –> heat energy
What is the energy change when water boils to make steam?
Heat energy –> kinetic energy
What is the greenhouse effect?
The greenhouse effect occurs when gases in Earth’s atmosphere trap the Sun’s heat.
This makes Earth much warmer than it would be without an atmosphere.
What is the energy change that takes place when the turbine turns a generator to make electricity?
Kinetic energy –> electrical energy
What is the enhanced greenhouse effect?
This is when
the extra greenhouse gases in our atmosphere trap too much of the Sun’s energy.
This causes a warming effect, which some people call global warming.
State 5 greenhouse gases.
- water vapour
- carbon dioxide
- nitrous oxide
- methane
- ozone
What is global warming?
It is the rising of the average temperature on Earth.
What damage can global warming cause?
- Ice caps to melt
- Sea levels to rise
- More wild fires
- More extreme weather events
- Loss of habitats and reduced biodiversity
What are the 7 renewable sources of energy?
- Solar
- Wind
- Hydroelectric
- Wave
- Tidal
- Geothermal
- Biofuels
What is the energy change in a solar panel?
Light energy –> electrical energy
What is the energy change in a wind turbine?
Kinetic energy –> electrical energy
What is the energy change in wave and tidal devices?
Kinetic energy –> electrical energy
What is the energy change in a hydroelectric power station?
Tricky!
Gravitational potential energy –> kinetic energy –> electrical energy
What is the energy change in a geothermal station?
Tricky!
Heat energy –> kinetic energy –> electrical energy
State 3 common biofuels.
Biodiesel, bioethanol, biogas.
What does ‘carbon neutral’ mean?
The source captures almost the same amount of carbon dioxide through photosynthesis while growing as is released when it is burned.
What are some low-carbon energy sources?
- Nuclear
- Biomass
- Any other renewable source!
What is an advantage of fossil fuels?
Electricity from fossil fuels is affordable.
They quickly generate electricity to respond to demand.
What is a disadvantage of fossil fuels?
Produces carbon dioxide which contributes to the enhanced greenhouse effect.
They are a finite resource, so they will eventually run out.
What is an advantage of nuclear power?
Nuclear fuel is very energy dense so we only need a small amount of it.
It does not release any carbon dioxide as no fuel is burned.
What is a disadvantage of nuclear power?
Produces radioactive waste which is challenging to store.
Nuclear power plant disasters can be catastrophic and cause cancers.
What is an advantage of solar?
The sun is a free resource.
No carbon dioxide is produced as no fuel is burned.
It can be used in remote locations.
What is a disadvantage of solar?
It’s not always sunny, so they can’t produce electricity 24/7.
They are expensive to install, so the electricity from this source is expensive.
What is an advantage of wind power?
The wind is a free resource.
No carbon dioxide is produced as no fuel is burned.
It can be used in remote locations.
What is a disadvantage of wind power?
It’s not always windy, so they can’t produce electricity 24/7.
Wind turbines require regular maintenance.
What is an advantage of hydroelectric power?
No carbon dioxide is produced as no fuel is burned.
Water is a free resource.
What is a disadvantage of hydroelectric power?
Very expensive to build.
Requires large areas of land.
Flooding damages habitats and wildlife in the area.
What is an advantage of wave power?
No carbon dioxide is produced as no fuel is burned.
Water is a free resource.
What is a disadvantage of wave power?
The sea is calm in the absence of wind.
NIMBY – it spoils the landscape around it.
Small amounts of electricity are produced.
What is an advantage of tidal power?
No carbon dioxide is produced as no fuel is burned.
Water is a free resource.
Tides happen twice a day.
What is a disadvantage of tidal power?
It can damage habitats and the wildlife in the area.
The times of day it produces electricity might not correspond to demand for it.
What is an advantage of geothermal power?
Heat from the Earth’s crust is a free resource.
It is cheap to run.
It can be scaled down to individual houses.
What is a disadvantage of geothermal power?
Digging boreholes can be expensive.
It is only suitable in certain geographical regions.
What is an advantage of biofuels?
Waste products from agriculture are cheap to buy.
It is carbon neutral.
Quickly generates electricity to respond to demand.
What is a disdvantage of biofuels?
Carbon dioxide is still produced when it is burned.
Growing crops for fuel means land cannot be used to grow crops for food.
