Nonrenewable Resources
What are nonrenewable resources? (Give the definition)
Resources that take millions of years to form and are used faster than they are replaced.
What is coal formed from?
Tropical Plants/Swamps
What is oil formed from?
Microscopic marine life (plankton)
How is natural gas formed?
With oil (marine organisms/plankton), often found above oil in the Earth.
True or false - Nuclear energy is the most efficient (has the most power)?
True
What must all power plants do to generate electricity?
Turn a turbine
What is the result of inhaling coal dust?
Black Lung Disease
What is another word for oil?
What is the process used to extract natural gas from rocks?
Hydraulic fracturing/fracking
What is one downside of nuclear energy?
Radiation is dangerous, radioactive waste is dangerous for thousands of years
Which energy source provides the majority of energy in the US?
Coal
What is coal ash? (be specific)
A product from mining coal, contains toxins & heavy metals like arsenic & mercury
Which US state was once responsible for 25% of national oil production?
Alaska
What's the main chemical in natural gas?
Methane
Name the 3 nuclear disasters we spoke about
Chernobyl, Fukushima, Three Mile Island
What element is used to generate nuclear power?
Uranium
Name one of the surface mining methods to extract coal.
Strip mining, mountaintop removal
What fuels can oil be refined into? (3)
Gasoline, diesel, kerosene
Name one benefit of natural gas over coal
Less pollution
What happens when a nuclear reactor melts down?
The cooling system had problems, which allowed to uranium rods to overheat. No explosions
Explain the amount of pollution released for each kind of nonrenewable energy source.
Coal - the most pollution, coal ash containing toxins & heavy metals
Oil - moderate to high pollution, oil spills
Natural Gas - a lot less pollution than other sources, some carbon dioxide
Nuclear - no air pollution
Explain the steps, in order, to turn coal into electricity
1. Coal is crushed
2. The coal is put into a boiler
3. The boiler turns water into steam
4. The steam turns a turbine. The turbine is connected to a generator, which creates electricity
Name the two oil companies we have discussed that have been involved with an oil spill.
Exxon, BP
Give one harmful effect of fracking.
Groundwater contamination, increased earthquakes, or noise pollution
Explain the process for generating electricity through nuclear power.
Uranium atoms are split, letting off radiation & heat, which turns water into steam that turns the turbine to create electricity