Nonrenewable Energy

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to nonrenewable energy sources and their implications.

Nonrenewable energy

Energy sources that exist in a fixed amount and cannot be easily replaced.

Renewable energy

Energy sources that can be replenished naturally at or near the rate of consumption.

Energy efficiency

The ratio of desired, useful energy to the total energy in a system.

Fossil fuels

Energy sources formed from the remains of dead plants and animals, primarily oil, natural gas, and coal.

Coal formation

The process through which coal is created from dead plant matter under heat and pressure.

Petroleum

A fossil fuel composed of liquid hydrocarbons, used for various applications including fuel.

Natural gas

A fossil fuel that is primarily methane, considered the cleanest fossil fuel.

Environmental impact

Effects caused by energy use, including emissions and habitat loss, that affect ecosystems and human health.

Fracking

A method of extracting natural gas involving hydraulic fracturing.

Combined cycle technology

An energy generation method that uses waste gases from combustion to produce additional energy.

Cogeneration

The simultaneous production of electricity and useful heat from the same energy source.

Radioactive decay

The process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by emitting radiation.

Half-life

The time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.