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AP Environmental Science > *Unit 6 > Flashcards

*Unit 6 Flashcards

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1
Q

What are some nonrenewable energy sources?

A

Nuclear, coal, oil, natural gas, petroleum

**Nuclear is not renewable, but not a fossil fuel either

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2
Q

What are some renewable energy sources?

A

Biomass, hydroelectric, solar, wind, waves, geothermal

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3
Q

What is the equation for percent change?

A

abs(initial - final) / initial x 100 = %

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4
Q

What are the main issues with using wood/charcoal for fuel?

A
  • Removal of wood can lead to soil degradation.

- Deforestation can decrease precipitation and CO2 sequestration

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5
Q

What are the types of coal? Which are the most valuable?

A

When peat dries out it becomes lignite, bituminous, and then anthracite. Because anthracite requires the most heat and pressure, it has the least amount of impurities and is valued the most. It has the highest heating capacity and a low sulfur content.

*Bituminous is the most commonly used. It has a high heating capacity, high sulfur content, but is cheaper than anthracite.

**Sulfuric emissions mixed with H20 vapor can cause acid deposition (acid rain), which has harmful effects on plants, animals, and infrastructure.

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6
Q

What is the cleanest burning fossil fuel?

A

Natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel because it doesn’t release as many harmful emissions as other fossil fuels. It still produces carbon dioxide, but it just doesn’t release impurities like sulfur.

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7
Q

What is cogeneration?

A

Cogeneration occurs when a fuel source is used to generate both useful heat and electricity.

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8
Q

The separation of various components of crude oil in refineries is accomplished primarily by taking advantage of the differences in what?

A

The boiling points of the components.

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9
Q

An industry uses natural gas for manufacturing and uses the waste to heat and produce electricity. What is this process an example of?

A

Cogeneration.

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10
Q

What region is considered the world leader in petroleum resources?

A

The Middle East.

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11
Q

What is combustion?

A

Combustion is the process of burning fuel in the presence of oxygen to produce water and carbon dioxide.

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12
Q

What are the environmental problems associated with burning coal?

A
  1. Mining - destruction of habitat and resources used
  2. Pulverized coal - flammable and harmful to respiratory systems
  3. Heavy uses of water - can deplete habitat for species and water source
  4. Carbon dioxide - increases greenhouse effect globally
  5. Other pollutants - released into air and water
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13
Q

What are the environmental issues associated with coal/oil/gas extraction?

A

Coal:

  • Surface Mining: removal of topsoil and habitat
  • Subsurface Mining: destruction of habitat and dangerous

Oil: habitat destruction, potential for spills

Gas: destruction of habitat, water contamination, earthquakes

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14
Q

What is hydrologic fracturing or “fracking”?

A

A process of piping down into the ground to extract gas.

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15
Q

What are the environmental problems associated with hydrologic fracturing?

A
  • Water contamination/Habitat destruction
  • Fracking fluid contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
  • Natural gas (often methane) may leak out
  • May cause earthquakes
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16
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages to nuclear fission?

A

Advantages:

  • Low/No CH4 or CO2 emissions
  • High power output
  • Low cost after construction
  • No mining for fossil fuels
  • No primary/secondary air pollutants

Disadvantages:

  • Long-lived hazardous nuclear waste/nuclear incidents
  • Thermal pollution
  • Very high cost
  • Mining for construction and Uranium
  • Non-renewable resource
17
Q

What happens to nuclear waste?

A

Nuclear waste must be stored due to its radioactive properties. However, there is no designated spot for this waste to be relocated to, so it is stored on site.

18
Q

What is the first law of thermodynamics?

A

Energy cannot be created or destroyed.

19
Q

What are the positive and negative consequences for using biomass as an energy source?

A

Positive:

  • Easily accessible
  • Relatively inexpensive
  • Used for heating and cooking

Negative:

  • Air pollutants: carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulates, and volatile organic compounds
  • Typically burned indoors, intensifying health effects of pollutants
  • Overharvesting trees for fuelwood results in deforestation
20
Q

What is biomass used for?

A

Biomass is a heat source, but is NOT a source for electricity.

21
Q

What are biofuels?

A

Liquid fuels made from plant matter that can be used as substitutes for conventional petroleum products (gasoline and diesel)

*Ethanol is a replacement for gasoline and biodiesel is a replacement for diesel

22
Q

What are the positive and negative consequences of using biofuels as an energy source?

A

Positive:

  • Combustion is carbon neutral
  • Potentially renewable
  • Can be produced domestically

Negative:

  • Net energy is low
  • Harvesting crops for ethanol has the potential for increased fossil fuels in harvest, increased deforestation, and reduction in fertility of agricultural land
23
Q

What are the different types of solar energy?

A

Photovoltaic (PV) Cells: Transforms sunlight directly into electricity
Active Solar: Uses mechanical and electric equipment to transfer solar heated liquid to transfer heat or to create electricity
Passive Solar: Heat is directly absorbed from the sun without mechanical or electric equipment

24
Q

What are the positive and negative consequences of photovoltaics?

A

Positive:

  • Generation of electricity
  • Can reduce habitat destruction depending on installation placement
  • Large and small-scale applications

Negative:

  • Use is limited by the availability of sunlight
  • Limited lifespan of nonrenewable PV cells
  • Expensive
  • Solar farms may negatively impact fragile desert ecosystems
25
Q

What are the positive and negative consequences of active solar?

A

Positive:

  • Generates electricity or heat
  • Large and small-scale application

Negative:

  • Expensive
  • Requires maintenance
  • Solar farms may negatively impact fragile desert ecosystems
  • Solar farms requires high solar intensity to maximize efficiency
26
Q

What are the positive and negative consequences of passive solar?

A

Positive: Relatively inexpensive and low maintenance

Negative:

  • Some aspects are difficult to implement retroactively
  • Energy cannot be collected or stored
27
Q

What are the positive and negative consequences of hydroelectric dams?

A

Positive:

  • No air pollution
  • No waste
  • Relatively inexpensive energy generation
  • Additional services provided by reservoir

Negative:

  • Flooding of land for reservoir
  • Disruption to flow rates of river
  • High maintenance cost for tidal
  • High construction cost for dams
  • Most viable sites are already used
28
Q

What are the positive and negative consequences of geothermal energy?

A

Positive:

  • No combustion = No CO2 emissions
  • Not dependent on variable weather factors like solar and wind

Negative:

  • Accessibility at a reasonable cost
  • Release of gases (hydrogen sulfide H2S)
  • Short-term depletion of heat possible
  • Impact on groundwater
29
Q

What are hydrogen fuel cells?

A
  • Hydrogen fuel cells are an alternative to nonrenewable fuel
  • Fuel cells combine hydrogen fuel and oxygen from the atmosphere to create electricity electrolysis
  • Water is the only direct emission of the fuel cell
30
Q

What are the positive and negative consequences of hydrogen fuel cells?

A

Positive:

  • No CO2 emissions (if produced from water)
  • Electricity is more efficient than internal combustion

Negative:

  • Technology is expensive
  • Producing hydrogen fuel from fossil fuels is not clean
31
Q

True or false: hydrogen fuel cells use hydrogen directly from the atmosphere.

A

False; hydrogen is rare, so it often has to be split from another molecule to be used.

32
Q

What are the positive and negative consequences of wind energy?

A

Positive:

  • Renewable
  • Clean

Negative:

  • Bird/bat mortality
  • Location specific (requires constant winds)
33
Q

What are some methods for conserving energy?

A

Individuals at home:

  • Adjusting the thermostat
  • Conserving water
  • Energy-efficient appliances
  • Conservation landscaping

Large-scale changes enhanced by policy and accessibility:

  • Green building design
  • Transportation: improving the fuel economy for vehicles, BEVs (battery electric vehicles) and hybrid vehicles, using public transportation

AP Environmental Science (9 decks)

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