Energy, Circuits, and Resources Overview

Load/resistor

Component of circuit that uses the energy

Current

Amount of charges moving past a point in a second

Resistance

Amount that a material slows the movement of charges measured in ohms and r = v/I

Voltage

Amount of energy supplied to each charge (allowing it to move). Or Amount of energy used by charge when through load/resistor.

Series circuit

Circuit where components are connected after each other in one path of flow

Parallel circuit

Circuit where components are connected next to each other and charges flow through one component not two

Renewable resource

Energy that can be replaced as fast as they can be used

Energy transfer

Energy from one object to another

Energy transformation

Energy conversion from one type to another

Energy efficiency

Proportion of useful (what object needs to function) energy released compared to energy put in

Generator

Device converting all energy to electrical energy

Renewable

Natural resource that can be replaced quickly

Non-Renewable

Natural resource that can not be replaced quickly

Resource

Natural source that can be used as a fuel or material

Fossil Fuel

Non renewable resource that is used for energy. Made from dead plants and animals after being buried for millions of years

Ore

A rock that contains a high content of mineral

Mineral

Chemical substance found in rocks that contain metal

Energy

Capability to do work in J or Kw

Power

Rate at which energy is transferred measured in J/s or Kwh

Incandescent lightbulbs

Banned as most of the electricity goes toward producing heat rather than light

Electrical component that can make or break circuit

Switch

Resistor

Transforms electrical energy to another form

Cell

Change one form of energy to electrical energy

Appliance converting Electrical to sound

Speaker

Global warming

Rise in global temperatures because of an increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Climate change

change in weather patterns

Valency

Number or electrons an atom wants to gain/share/lose

Potential Energy

GPE, Chemical, Elastic, Nuclear

GPE

position above ground

Chemical Energy

Living things

Elastic Energy

change shape (compress/stretch)

Nuclear Energy

In the nucleus of atoms

Kinetic Energy

Electrical, Thermal, light, sound, kinetic

Electrical Energy

Electrons moving

Thermal Energy

Heat energy

Light Energy

Energy in the form of light

Sound Energy

Energy in the form of sound

Laws of conservation of energy

the amount of energy in a closed system always stays the same AND energy can be transformed and transferred not created or destroyed

Ways to optimise current energy usage

energy efficient devices, energy management systems

Energy efficiency formula

Energy efficiency = useful/total x 100

Current (I)

Flow of charge in circuit, measured in amps (A), ammeter

Voltage (v)

Energy supplied by energy source or used by energy user, measured in volts (V), voltmeter

Resistance (R)

Opposition to the flow of charge, measured in ohms (Ω)

Ohm's law

Current is directly proportional to voltage and inversely proportional to resistance

Renewable energy

Replenished in our lifetime, e.g. solar, hydro, wind

Non-renewable energy

not replenish over a lifetime, e.g. Coal, oil, natural gas

Greenhouse gas

Go to the ozone layer and trap the sun's heat causing it to warm up

Steps of making energy from coal

Coal mined , burnt for heat energy, water heated into steam, steam moves the turbine, leftover steam back to cooling tower to be reused as water, generator with magnet and wire is used, transformer increases voltage so it moves quicker

Solar energy

Light energy to electrical energy using photovoltaic cells, Used in solar farms

Wind energy

Wind spins the blades of a turbine, which rotates a generator to produce electricity, Used in wind farms

Hydropower

Moving water spins a turbine, which powers a generator to produce electricity, hydroelectric dams

Pros of Hydropower

No air pollution; Can store energy for later use.

Cons of Hydropower

Dams can disrupt ecosystems and fish migration; Depends on water availability.

Tidal Power

Rising and falling tides push water through turbines, generating electricity; Used in tidal power plants.

Pros of Tidal Power

Predictable and reliable; No greenhouse gas emissions.

Cons of Tidal Power

Expensive to build and maintain; Can affect marine life and coastal ecosystems, expensive

Geothermal Energy

Heat from underground turns water into steam, which spins a turbine to generate electricity; Used in geothermal power plants.

Pros of Geothermal Energy

Produces constant, reliable energy; No fuel needed, reducing costs in the long term.

Cons of Geothermal Energy

Only works in areas with geothermal activity; Drilling is expensive.

Biomass Energy

Biomass is burned or converted into biofuels to generate heat, which produces steam to turn a turbine; Used in bioenergy plants.

Pros of Biomass Energy

Uses waste materials, reducing landfill waste; Can be a reliable energy source.

Cons of Biomass Energy

Still produces CO₂ when burned; Large-scale production requires lots of land and water.

Coal Energy

Coal is burned to heat water, producing steam that spins a turbine connected to a generator; Used in coal-fired power plants.

Pros of Coal Energy

Reliable and produces large amounts of electricity; Infrastructure is already in place.

Cons of Coal Energy

Produces CO₂, contributing to climate change; Causes air pollution and mining damages ecosystems.

Oil Energy

Oil is burned in power plants to heat water into steam, which spins a turbine and generates electricity; Used in power plants.

Pros of Oil Energy

Can be transported easily in liquid form; Produces a large amount of energy.

Cons of Oil Energy

Releases CO₂ and other pollutants; Oil spills can damage marine ecosystems.

Natural Gas Energy

Natural gas is burned to heat water into steam, which spins a turbine connected to a generator.

Natural Gas Pros

produces less CO₂ than coal and oil; more efficient than other fossil fuels.

Nuclear fission

Releases heat, which turns water into steam to spin a turbine and generate electricity.

Nuclear fission pros

No emissions during electricity generation, Produces lots energy from small amounts of fuel

Nuclear fisson cons

Produces radioactive waste, which is hard to store safely, Nuclear accidents can be catastrophic

Uses of minerals

Build rocks, industrial, technological, and biological processes.

Coal mine environment impact

Land degradation - Clear forests +topsoil, Water pollution, Air pollution

Solutions to Coal mine environment impact

Carbon capture, Renewable energy shift, Recycling metals, Stricter regulations

Iron ore

Heated in a furnace with coke to make steel; used in construction, vehicles, and machinery.

Traditional uses of minerals

stone and ochre for tools/weapons and painting, clays for medicine and trade, wood and fibres for spears, canoes, baskets

Ionic bonds

Formed from electrostatic force of attraction between oppositely charged ions. metal (cation), non metal (anion)

Covalent bonds

Formed by sharing electrons between non-metals. Add prefixes

Metallic bonds

Formed between two metals where electrons are delocalized. electrons attract to positive metal ion. No naming

Polymers

Chain-like molecules made of repeating units

Carbon dating

Uses the decay of carbon-14 to determine the age of organic materials.

Uranium dating

Uses the decay of potassium-40 to argon to date rocks.

Combustion

The reaction of fuel with oxygen to release energy.

Complete combustion

Occurs when all fuel reacts with oxygen, producing CO₂ and water.

Incomplete combustion

Occurs when there is not enough oxygen, producing carbon monoxide, water and soot.

Biodegradable

Strong covalent bonds not biodegradable, Mix natural and synthetic polymers make biodegradable

Bioaccumulation

The buildup of plastic inside living organisms.

Biomagnification

Predators consume organisms with microplastics, leading to higher concentrations.

Fractional distillation

A process used to separate crude oil into different hydrocarbons.

How to increase efficiency of energy transfers

thermal insulation - reduce heat transfer

Lubrication - reduce friction w plastic film

Streamlining - get rid parts of the process not needed

What is resistance caused by

Longer wire, Thinner wire, Resistor, High temp wire

Properties of circuits

Series - v = splits, c = same

Parallel - V = same, c = split

Pros of renewable energy

Doesnt run out, Less pollution, Creates jobs, Low running cost

Cons of renewable energy

Weather dependant, Geographical limitations, Limited storage capacity, Lower production of energy, High start up cost

Pros of non renewable energy

Produce high amounts of energy quickly, Low start up cost, Economy growth

Cons of non renewable energy

Pollution and health hazards, Expensive running cost, Finite resource

Solar energy pros

No greenhouse gas emissions, Reduces electricity bills

Solar energy cons

Only works during the day, Can be expensive to install