Lesson 1: Energy Conversions
Devices with plugs use
electrical energy
Petroleum makes two things
Gasoline and diesel
Two examples of renewable resources
What are:
wind
solar energy
hydropower
biomass energy
geothermal energy
What are a few effects power plants have on the environment?
Rain becomes acid.
Pollutes air and water.
The damage to our planet is done, there is nothing we can do to help.
What is false? We have lots to do!
Buildings, power tools, cars and electronic devices all have this in common.
They all use energy
Three examples of fossil fuels
Coal, petroleum and natural gas.
The energy of moving water
Hydropower
There are two ways to extract fossil fuels. What are the two ways and how do they effect the environment?
Mining and drilling. They change up the land and harm the environment with all the construction and digging.
Fossil fuels combine with oxygen to produce heat and light.
Combustion?
My purpose in a power plant is to allow excess heat to escape.
What is a cooling tower?
Define fossil fuels.
Materials that formed as ancient plants and animals decayed underground.
How is the sun connected to wind energy?
The sun heats up the earth which makes air move around.
What does a scrubber do?
A scrubber is a machine that allows gases from a power plant to pass through in order to reduce the amount of pollutants that get into the air.
What unstable element is used for nuclear energy? How is energy released from it?
Uranium. The atoms are split to create heat.
Why might a solar car have difficulty traveling at night?
There is no sun to give solar energy.
What is the difference between the formation of coal and petroleum?
Coal uses dead plants that turn into peat. Petroleum uses plants and animals.
Explain geothermal energy.
Geothermal energy is heat energy obtained from beneath the Earth's surface.
List 5 harmful outcomes caused by human uses of energy.
Answers vary
What are greenhouse gases?
A pollutant that heats up the earth.
What is the function of a generator in a power plant?
It changes the energy of motion into electrical energy.
Why do people rely so heavily on fossil fuels if they are nonrenewable?
They are inexpensive and readily available.
What is biomass? What is it made of?
Biomass is made from plant materials such as wood and nut shells.
What are two ways oil can become harmful?
Pipes can leak and spread oil everywhere. Ships transporting can collide and pollute water with oil.
Where is chemical energy stored?
batteries