Unit 6 Flashcards
The most common energy source in the world, puts toxic materials, such as lead, arsenic, radioactive material, used primarily for producing electricity
Coal
Where can geothermal energy be found?
along plate boundries
an energy source is that is is easily attainable
wood
Area where oil can form
river delta in a forested area
heating of crude oil to make different fuel types (due to different boiling points)
Fractional Distillation
What is the order of increasing quality of decomposed organic material fuel quality
Peat, Lignite, Sub-bituminous, bituminous, anthracite
Where can coal deposits from?
below and to the right of the great lakes in the US
when a fuel source is used to generate both useful heat and electricity
cogeneration
When fossil fuels are burned, carbon & hydrogen react with oxygen in air to create
carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O)
Countries that have the highest amount of coal deposits
China, US & Russia
Pollutants produced by burning (all) fossil fuels
-carbon dioxide
-carbon monoxide
-nitrogen oxides
-particulates
-VOCs (volatile organic compounds)
Fracking risks/disadvantages
-Groundwater/aquifer pollution
-releases methane
-earthquakes
-Fossil fuels are a finite resource
-fossil fuel collection damages the environment
-combust creating an acidic environment
-may contribute to public health issues
-Fossil fuels can be dangerous to collect
the release of a large amount of heat in nuclear power plants to boil water to produce steam
Nuclear Fission
Problems associated with Nuclear Power
(Main ones:) waste & thermal pollution
-Nuclear power is nonrenewable
-Decreased levels of dissolved O2 (DO)
-waste is expensive to dispose of
-hazardous solid waste
Nuclear Disasters
Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima
Best way to store radioactive waste
underground away from populated areas
Solar energy systems have low environmental impact and produce clean energy, but
are expensive, their use is limited by sunlight availability, manufacture releases toxic chemicals into the air & large solar energy farms may negatively impact desert ecosystems
Active solar energy
the use of solar energy to heat a liquid through mechanical and electric equipment to collect and store the energy captured from the sun
Passive Solar Energy
-absorb heat directly from the sun
-no mechanical or electric equipment used
-energy cannot be collected or stored
Hydroelectric power benefits and disadvantages
does not generate air pollution but
-expensive and can alter habitats
(EX: nutrient-rich silt deposited downstream is now deposited behind the dam)
-Equipment & suspension corrosion caused by ocean water
-Opposed by trawler fishermen
Best way to diminish fish mortality at hydroelectric power plants?
Fish ladders
the major source of energy for domestic use in developing countries, production is cheaper than fossil fuel extraction, making it more readily available for use.
Biomass
cleanest of the fossil fuels, mostly methane
Natural gas
Advantage of using natural gas
is that natural gas is cleaner (than oil) because it burns more completely
Disadvantages of Geothermal energy production
-high upfront cost
-electricity is needed to operate pumps
-noise
-release of corrosive chemicals
locations fit for geothermal energy systems
along plate boundaries ranging from short distances below, to miles below the surface
Negative Effect of Wind Farms
migratory birds and bats are killed
Offshore winds farms are ________ productive than those onshore
more
only energies that aren’t derived indirectly/directly from the sun
Geothermal & Nuclear
Best places for wind turbines
offshore
mountain ridges
wind tunnels
What is the “exhaust” of Geothermal Energy production?
water vapor
In what type of conditions does partially decayed vegetation form peat?
high-pressure, anaerobic, acidic conditions
