U6L6 Alternative Energy Resources

Question 1

What is solar energy?

Answer 1

Solar energy is an alternative resource that captures energy from the sun.

Question 2

How do solar cells work?

Answer 2

Using solar cells that convert sunlight directly into electricity, energy is channeled to power objects as small as watches or as large as skyscrapers.

Question 3

Where are photovoltaic, or solar, cells used?

Answer 3

Photovoltaic, or solar, cells can be placed on roofs to capture energy and provide electricity to homes. They can also be placed on large areas of land and used to power large buildings and even, as in the case of Babcock Ranch, FL, a town.

Question 4

What is wind energy?

Answer 4

Wind energy is an alternative resource that captures the energy of moving air.

Question 5

What is used to collect wind energy?

Answer 5

Wind turbines

Question 6

What is one benefit of using using solar wind energy over fossil fuels?

Answer 6

One benefit of using solar and wind energy is that neither source produces air pollution.

Question 7

What is one major challenge of harnessing solar and wind energy?

Answer 7

One major challenge of harnessing solar energy is that adequate sunlight is not always available in all places. The amount of sunlight available and the intensity of the sun’s energy varies from place to place. One challenge of harnessing wind energy is the noise pollution it creates.

Question 8

What are the benefits of using solar energy?

Environmentally

Answer 8

Unlike fossil fuels, harnessing solar energy does not produce air pollutants or emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This allows for cleaner production of electricity with minimal effect on the environment.

Question 9

What are the benefits of using?

Home/business

Answer 9

Because solar cells can be manufactured in a small enough size to fit on the roof of a home, they are very accessible to homeowners hoping to reduce their energy costs. In addition, cities and businesses utilize solar cells to harness energy to provide electricity to buildings, or in one case, an entire town.

Question 10

What is one of the downsides of using solar energy?

Sunlight

Answer 10

In some areas, sun exposure is limited, and in others, the intensity of the sun fluctuates greatly. This hinders cities from harnessing enough solar energy to convert into usable electricity.

Question 11

What is one of the downsides of using solar energy?

Land Devotement

Answer 11

The amount of sunlight that actually reaches Earth’s surface is relatively small. A large surface area is needed to collect a useful amount. This means that more land must be devoted to solar cells in order to produce large amounts of electricity.

Question 12

What are one of the downside of solar cells?

Environmental

Answer 12

The production of the solar cells includes some toxic materials and chemicals. Leaks of hazardous fluids used in the cells can be harmful to environment.

Question 13

What is a benefit of wind energy?

Environmental

Answer 13

Wind turbines, which are used to harness wind energy, do not emit carbon dioxide or other harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. They provide a clean way to harness energy with little environmental impact or effect on human health.

Question 14

What is a benefit of wind energy?

Economically

Answer 14

The cost to harness wind energy is decreasing due to technological advances. This, along with government incentives, makes wind energy a viable option for companies to invest in.

Question 15

What is one of the downsides of wind turbines?

Noise

Answer 15

One major issue is the noise pollution that wind turbines produce. Many people do not want to live in general proximity to wind farms because of the noise of the turbines.

Question 16

What is on downside of wind turbines?

Land usage

Answer 16

These large farms can take up a vast amount of landscape and valuable property with very little profit. For this reason, locations for wind farms are limited and usually far away from the towns they are built to serve. This makes transfer of the electricity into towns and cities a challenge.

Question 17

What is biomass?

Answer 17

A renewable resource that comes from plant and animal material.

Question 18

How is the energy from biomass extracted?

Answer 18

Through direct burning or by converting the biomass to liquid biofuels, which are then burned.

Question 19

What are some examples of biomass?

Answer 19

• wood
• crops
• garbage
• animal waste

Question 20

What are some benefits of burning wood biomass?

Answer 20

Wood provides heating for many homes in the U.S. it can also be burning to generate steam and electricity.

Question 21

What are some limitations of using biomass energy?

Answer 21

Biomass produces carbon dioxide, which can be harmful to the environment. As a result, extra care must be taken to properly burn and control biomass.

Question 22

How are biomasses helpful in landfills?

Answer 22

Biomass in landfills provides another alternative source of fuel. When biomass in landfills is burned, it produces a gas called biogas, which is comprised mostly of methane and carbon dioxide. Once the biogas has been treated to remove the carbon dioxide, the methane can be used as an alternative fuel source.

Question 23

How can burning biomass in landfills be bad for the environment?
(Biogas)

Answer 23

Biogas is also produced naturally in landfills. The methane component is flammable, and a high methane content can be harmful to people and the environment. Landfills work to control the emission of these gases during the burning of biomass.

Question 24

What is hydroelectric energy?

Answer 24

Hydroelectric energy is energy gathered from moving water.

Question 25

What are used to harness the energy from moving water?

Answer 25

Dams

Question 26

The energy collected by dams can produce enough electricity to meet the needs of __ to ___% of our nation’s population.

Answer 26

8; 12