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vocab
Anthracite
The cleanest-burning, highest quality grade of coal.
Bituminous
The second highest grade of coal.
Combustion
Reaction of a fuel with oxygen to produce heat and carbon dioxide.
Crude oil
Also known as petroleum, unrefined liquid fossil fuel.Wealthy countries with relatively high levels of industrialization and income, as measured by GDP.
Developed countries
Wealthy countries with relatively high levels of industrialization and income, as measured by GDP.
Developing countries
Poorer countries with relatively low levels of industrialization and income, as measured by GDP.
Electricity
A form of energy caused by the flow of electrons.
Emissions
Pollutants that are released into the air.
Energy conservation
The practice of reducing energy use.
Energy efficiency
The percentage of energy put into a system that does useful work.
Fission
The splitting of an atomic nucleus due to bombardment by neutrons which releases a large amount of energy.
Fossil fuels
Coal, oil, and natural gas that are formed from the ancient remains of plants and animals that have been compressed and subject to high heat.
Fuel rods
Hollow metal cylinders filled with Uranium fuel pellets for use in fission reactors.
Fukushima
Nuclear power plant in Japan that experienced a meltdown following an earthquake & tsunami and is the second worst nuclear disaster in history.
Fusion
The joining of two lightweight atomic nuclei into a single, heavier nucleus which releases a large amount of energy.
Half-life
The length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.
Hydraulic fracturing
Also known as fracking, process of extracting natural gas by injecting a pressurized mixture of water and other chemicals into fissures underground.
Isotope
Atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons.
Lignite
Lowest grade of coal that has low energy density and more water content.
Methane
CH4, a form of natural gas.
Natural gas
A gaseous fossil fuel.
Nondepletable resources
An energy source that cannot be used up regardless of how much it is used.
Nonrenewable resources
A natural resource that is not replaced in a useful time frame.
Nuclear power
Energy that is harnessed from reactions among radioactive isotopes.
Nuclear waste
The radioactive material left over from the production of energy in a nuclear power plant.
Particulate matter
Small solids that are dispersed in gas emissions.
Peat
Partially decayed plant matter found in bogs that is the precursor to coal.
Petroleum
Also known as crude oil, unrefined liquid fossil fuel.
Potentially renewable resources
Resources that can renew themselves over a short period of time, unless they are overused.
Radioactivity
The emission of radiation by an unstable atomic nucleus.
Renewable resources
Any natural resource that can replenish itself in a relatively short period of time, usually no longer than the length of a human life.
Tar sands
Mixture of clay, sand, water, and bitumen- which can be extracted and refined into oil.
Thermal pollution
Nonchemical water pollution that occurs when human activities cause a substantial change in the temperature of water.
Three Mile Island
Nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania that experienced a partial meltdown and was the worst nuclear accident in the United States.
Turbines
A machine for producing continuous power that is powered by steam, water, gas or air movement.
Uranium-235
An unstable isotope that is used in nuclear fission reactors.
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Potentially toxic gases emitted by certain organic solids and liquids and can evaporate readily from solid or liquid form.
Finite resources
Natural resources that can be worn out (all used up) and cannot be replaced. (i.e. coal)
Depletion time
the time it takes to use up a certain proportion of the reserves of a mineral at a given rate of use
Fractional distillation
A process of petroleum refining, by which a chemical mixture such as petroleum is separated into its components depending on the different boiling points of components.
Biomass
A measure of the total dry mass of organisms within a particular region
Bitumen
A black sticky substance obtained from petroleum that can be used for covering roads or roofs.
Chernobyl
A nuclear power plant in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union) that had an explosion in 1986, releasing radioactive materials into the air. It is considered one of the worst nuclear accidents in history.
Coal
Solid fossil fuel.
Cogeneration
Production of two useful forms of energy, such as high-temperature heat or steam and electricity, from the same fuel source.
shale oil
Slow-flowing, dark brown, heavy oil obtained when kerogen in oil shale is vaporized at high temperatures and then condensed. Shale oil can be refined to yield gasoline, heating oil, and other petroleum products.
