Unit 6 - Vocabulary List

Question 1

a reaction that occurs when lighter nuclei are forced together to produce heavier nuclei

Answer 1

nuclear fusion

Question 2

nuclear fuel that can no longer produce enough heat to be useful in a power plant but continues to emit radioactive

Answer 2

radioactive waste

Question 3

a cylindrical device inserted between the fuel rods in a nuclear reactor to absorb excess neutrons and slow or stop the fission reaction

Answer 3

control rod

Question 4

a cylindrical tube that encloses nuclear fuel within a nuclear reactor

Answer 4

fuel rod

Question 5

a nuclear reaction in which a neutronstrikes a relatively large atomic nucleus, which then splits into two or more parts, releasing additional neutrons and energy in the form of heat

Answer 5

fission

Question 6

the point at which half the total known oil supply is used up

Answer 6

peak oil

Question 7

a bell-shaped curve representing oil use and projecting both when world oil production will reach a maximum and when the world will run out of oil

Answer 7

Hubbert curve

Question 8

the energy use per unit of gross domestic product

Answer 8

energy intensity

Question 9

a degraded petroleum that forms when petroleum migrates to the surface of the earth and is modified by bacteria; also called tar or pitch

Answer 9

bitumen

Question 10

slow-flowing, viscous deposits of bitumen mixed with sand, water, and clay

Answer 10

oil sands

Question 11

liquid petroleum removed from the ground

Answer 11

crude oil

Question 12

a fossile fuel that occurs in underground deposits, composed of a liquid mixture of hydrocarbons, water, and sulfur

Answer 12

petroleum

Question 13

a solid fuel formed primarily from the remains of trees, ferns, and other plant materials presered 280 million to 360 million years ago

Answer 13

coal

Question 14

the use of a fuel to generate elctricity and produce heat, also known as combined heat & power

Answer 14

cogeneration

Question 15

the fraction of time a power plant operates in a year

Answer 15

capacity factor

Question 16

in reference to an electricity-generating plant, the maximum electrical output

Answer 16

capacity

Question 17

a power plant that uses both exhaust gases and steam turbines to generate electricity

Answer 17

combined cycle

Question 18

a network of interconnected transmission lines that joins power plants together and links them with end users of electricity

Answer 18

electrical grid

Question 19

a device with blades that can be turned by water, wind, steam, or exhaust gas from combustion that turns a generator in an electricity-producing plant

Answer 19

turbine

Question 20

something that can move and deliver energy in a convenient, usable form to end senders

Answer 20

energy carrier

Question 21

an energy source gathered by individuals for their own immediate needs

Answer 21

subsistence energy source

Question 22

an anergy source that is bought and sold

Answer 22

commercial energy source

Question 23

fuel derived from radioactive materials that give off energy

Answer 23

nuclear fuels

Question 24

a fuel derived from biological material that became fossilized millions of years ago

Answer 24

fossil fuels

Question 25

an energy source with a finite supply, primarily fossil fuels and nuclear fuels

Answer 25

nonrenewable