Energy Fundamentals
This is the scientific definition of energy.
What is the ability to do work?
This energy source is produced from materials that make up or come from living organisms.
What is biomass?
This energy source uses the kinetic energy of moving water to generate electricity.
What is hydropower?
This was the total percentage of energy used by the USA that came from renewable sources in 2019.
What is 12%?
Burning biomass is cheap and easy, but it has this negative environmental effect.
What is emitting pollution?
These three sectors of human society use the vast majority of our energy resources.
What are industry, transportation, and residencies?
This energy source is generated from thermal energy found deep within the earth.
What is geothermal energy?
Solar energy uses this type of energy from the sun to generate electricity through panels.
What is thermal energy?
This nonrenewable resource was the single largest source of energy for the USA at 36%.
What is petroleum?
While geothermal is a reliable energy source, it can lead to this physical problem on the ground's surface.
What is surface instability?
This is the primary characteristic that defines a "renewable" resource.
What is a resource that is replaced in a relatively short amount of time?
These are three common examples of materials used to create biomass energy.
What are wood, crops, manure, or grains?
This is the specific structure used to produce most hydroelectricity.
What is a dam?
At 5.0%, this is the largest individual contributor to the US renewable energy mix.
What is biomass?
Dams used for hydropower are often criticized for their negative impact on these specific environments.
What are aquatic ecosystems?
This is the general name for renewable energy sources when they are used to replace fossil fuels.
What are alternative energy sources?
Geothermal energy is responsible for this natural phenomenon where water and steam are ejected from the ground.
What are geysers?
This U.S. state is a major user of hydropower, generating about 80% of its electricity this way.
What is Georgia?
This fossil fuel provided 11% of the USA's energy, slightly less than total renewables.
What is coal?
These are two common complaints from people living near wind turbine farms.
What is that they are loud and can kill birds?
Using renewable energy helps reduce these specific emissions, such as carbon dioxide, which contribute to climate change.
What are greenhouse gases?
Most of these types of nations rely on biomass as their main source of energy.
What are developing countries?
These are two major downsides shared by both solar and wind power installations.
What are being dependent on weather and being expensive?
This renewable source provided the smallest amount of energy to the US mix at only 0.2%.
What is geothermal energy?
This is the specific "stinky" smell produced by geothermal power plants.
What is a sulfur (or rotten egg) smell?