Energy Basics
This type of energy resource cannot be replenished within a human lifetime and exists in limited supply.
What is a nonrenewable resource?
This technology captures carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and stores them deep underground.
What is carbon capture and sequestration?
Inside nuclear reactors, these components regulate the reaction by capturing extra neutrons.
What are control rods?
About one-quarter of the electricity in this country comes from wind turbines.
What is Denmark?
To determine the total energy used during a trip when energy use per kilometer and total distance traveled are known, this mathematical relationship should be used.
Energy = (energy per distance) × (distance traveled)
Before coal dominated global industry in the 1800s, this fuel from forests supplied most of the world's energy.
What is wood?
The main chemical compound that makes up natural gas is this simple hydrocarbon.
What is methane?
These solar technologies convert sunlight directly into electricity using semiconductor materials.
What are photovoltaic cells?
This measure compares a nation’s energy consumption to the size of its economy.
What is energy intensity?
When calculating how much transportation energy each traveler is responsible for in a shared vehicle, this formula is used.
Energy per person = total energy used ÷ number of passengers
Unlike wind, biomass, and coal, this energy source does not ultimately trace its origin to sunlight.
What is nuclear energy?
This fossil fuel is plentiful but produces the highest pollution levels when used for electricity generation.
What is coal?
Large dams often interfere with ecosystems because they prevent this important animal activity.
What is fish migration?
Utility companies use this pricing system where electricity costs increase as customers consume more power.
What is a tiered rate system?
This equation determines the energy return on energy investment by comparing energy obtained to the energy required to acquire it.
EROEI = energy gained ÷ energy used to obtain it
This widely used form of power is produced from primary energy sources and delivered through electrical grids.
What is electricity?
A key environmental concern of hydraulic fracturing is the risk that chemicals may enter this water source.
What is groundwater?
This renewable energy comes from heat generated within Earth, largely from radioactive decay in the planet’s interior.
What is geothermal energy?
This renewable technology generates electricity using the motion of flowing water.
What is hydroelectric power?
To determine how much radioactive material remains after several half-lives, this exponential decay relationship is applied.
Remaining amount = initial amount × (1/2)ⁿ
This model predicts the point when petroleum extraction reaches its maximum rate before declining.
What is the Hubbert Curve?
Producing electricity while also capturing useful heat from the same fuel source is known by this term.
What is cogeneration?
In these devices, hydrogen reacts with oxygen to generate electricity and water through an electrochemical process.
What are hydrogen fuel cells?
Using less energy overall versus accomplishing the same task with less power are the distinctions between these two ideas.
What are energy conservation and energy efficiency?
When determining how long it takes for an efficient appliance to repay its higher purchase price, this financial relationship is used.
cost = power × time × price per kWh