Energy
What kind of energy do electric generators use? What kind do they create?
They use mechanical energy to create electrical energy
Describe the process of a using coal in a power plant.
Coal is burned beneath a container of water. Water is turned into steam. As the steam rises, it turns a turbine, which runs the electric generator
Describe nuclear fusion.
A nuclear reaction in which atomic nuclei form a heavier nucleus and release energy
Wind turbines convert the movement of the wind into what?
Electrical energy
What type of energy technology uses the temperature difference between layers of water to generate electricity is what?
ocean thermal energy conversion
What are two major uses for fuel in the United States?
transportation; manufacturing; heating and cooling buildings
About how long does it take for coal to form?
40-300 million years; millions of years
Where do geothermal power plants get their energy?
pumping heated water or steam from rock formations
Passive solar heating uses energy from the sun to ________ a home directly.
heat
You can increase the _____________ of a home by increasing the amount of insulation or washing large loads of laundry instead of several small loads.
Energy efficiency
If fossil fuels are made from dead organisms, why are they not considered renewable resources?
It takes millions of years for fossil fuels to form. At the rate we are now using them, they will be used up much faster than they can be replaced.
How does oil and natural gas form?
Small marine organisms decay and accumulate on the ocean floor millions of years ago
Why do we not have more nuclear power plants being built today?
Nuclear power plants are expensive to start up
Where will you find geothermal power plants?
in areas where there are deposits of warm/heated water underground
What two things do hybrid cars use in order to work?
efficient gasoline engines and electric motors
The suitability of a fuel for each application depends on what five things?
the fuel’s energy content, cost, availability, safety, and byproducts
How is coal formed?
Swamplands are buried by sediment. The added weight creates heat and pressure that converts the plants to coal
Energy from sources that are constantly being formed is known as what?
Renewable energy
In developing countries, you are most likely to find biomass used for what?
heating and cooking
What are advantages of using hydrogen as a fuel source?
It is the most abundant element on Earth, it produces water as a waste product, it does not release carbon as a waste product which would contribute to global warming
What is one way of increasing energy efficiency?
using public transportation; developing more efficient engines for vehicles (Not using less, just using energy more wisely.)
What is nuclear fission?
A nuclear reaction in which a nucleus splits and releases energy
What element is used in nuclear power plants?
Uranium
Name one type of biomass fuel.
Wood, dung
Free points
Yay!