Unit 6 AP Environmental Science Vocabulary

Flashcards for key vocabulary terms in Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption.

Nonrenewable energy resource

An energy resource that is not replenished at a sustainable rate.

Renewable energy resource

An energy resource that is replenished at or near the rate of consumption.

Potentially renewable

Renewable energy sources that can be depleted if overused.

Nondepletable

Renewable energy sources that cannot be depleted, regardless of how much they are used.

Commercial energy source

Energy bought and sold in the marketplace.

Subsistence energy source

Energy gathered for immediate needs by individuals.

Fossil fuels

Energy sources derived from biological material that became fossilized millions of years ago.

Peat

Partially decayed plant matter; the precursor to coal.

Coal

A combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock composed of fossilized plant matter.

Natural gas

A flammable gas, consisting largely of methane and other hydrocarbons, occurring naturally underground.

Crude oil

A naturally occurring, unrefined petroleum product composed of hydrocarbon deposits and other organic materials.

Tar sands/oil sands

A deposit of sand, clay, and other minerals that contains significant amounts of bitumen.

Bitumen

A viscous mixture of hydrocarbons derived from tar sands, also known as natural asphalt.

Cogeneration

The use of a fuel to generate electricity and produce heat; also known as combined heat and power.

Fracking

The process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, etc., so as to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas.

Shale gas

Natural gas obtained from shale formations.

Fossil fuel combustion reaction

The chemical reaction used to release energy from fossil fuels, typically involving oxidation.

Turbine

A machine for producing continuous power in which a wheel or rotor is made to revolve by a fast-moving flow of water, steam, gas, or air.

Generator

A device that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy.

Flowback water

Water that flows back to the surface during fracking operations.

Wastewater injection wells

Wells used to dispose of wastewater from fracking operations by injecting it deep underground.

Nuclear power

The generation of electricity using the thermal energy released by nuclear fission.

Radioactivity

The emission of particles or energy from unstable atomic nuclei.

Fission

A nuclear reaction in which a heavy nucleus splits into smaller nuclei, releasing energy.

Fuel rod

A hollow metal cylinder filled with nuclear fuel (uranium) for use in a nuclear reactor.

Control rod

A rod made of a neutron-absorbing material that is inserted or withdrawn from the core of a nuclear reactor to control the rate of fission.

Radioactive decay

The spontaneous transformation of an unstable atomic nucleus into a lighter one, releasing radiation.

Half-life

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

Radioactive waste

Radioactive material that is no longer useful but remains hazardous for a long time.

Spent fuel rods

Nuclear fuel that has been irradiated inside a nuclear reactor.

Meltdown

An accident in a nuclear reactor where the fuel overheats and melts the core.

Modern carbon

Carbon from living organisms.

Fossil carbon

Carbon from fossil fuels.

Carbon neutral

An activity that does not change atmospheric CO2 concentrations.

Biomass

Organic matter used as a fuel, especially in power stations for the generation of electricity.

Charcoal

A black residue, consisting mainly of carbon, obtained by heating wood or other organic matter in an airless space.

Biofuel

Fuel derived from recently living organic matter.

Ethanol

A renewable fuel made from corn and other plant materials.

Biodiesel

A biofuel intended as a substitute for diesel.

Fermentation

A chemical process by which a substance is broken down by bacteria, yeasts, or other microorganisms.

Palm oil

An oil derived from the fruit of the oil palm tree.

Passive solar

Using sunlight directly to heat buildings without mechanical devices.

Active solar energy

Using mechanical devices to heat water or air using sunlight.

Photovoltaic solar cells

A semiconductor device that converts light energy into electricity.

Concentrated solar thermal power

Systems that use mirrors or lenses to concentrate sunlight onto a receiver, which heats a fluid that produces steam to generate electricity.

Hydroelectricity

Electricity generated by the kinetic energy of moving water.

Water impoundment

Storing water behind a dam to generate electricity.

Run-of-the-river hydroelectric

A hydroelectric system in which water is diverted from a river and passed through a turbine.

Reservoir

An artificial lake created by a dam.

Tidal energy

Energy created by the ebb and flow of tides.

Siltation/sedimentation

The accumulation of sediments, especially silt and clay, in reservoirs, decreasing their capacity to impound water.

Fish ladders

A structure built to assist fish in their movement upstream past a dam or other obstruction.

Ground source heat pump

A system that transfers heat from the ground to buildings for heating or cooling.

Geothermal energy

Energy derived from the earth's internal heat.

Hydrogen fuel-cell

An electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (oxygen) into electricity.

Electrolysis

The process of using electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Wind energy

Energy derived from the movement of air.

Kinetic energy

The energy of motion.

Wind turbine

A device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electricity.

Offshore wind farm

A group of wind turbines located in the ocean, used for electricity generation.

NIMBY

Not In My Backyard; the opposition of residents to the construction of new projects in their local area.

Passive solar design

Designing buildings to maximize the direct absorption of sunlight in winter and to keep buildings cool in summer.

Peak demand

The greatest quantity of energy used at any one time.

Smart grid

A self-regulating electricity distribution network that accepts any source of electricity and distributes it automatically to end users.

CAFE vehicle standards

Corporate Average Fuel Economy; standards in the United States set to improve the average fuel economy of cars and light trucks.

Hybrid vehicle

A vehicle that uses a combination of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor to improve fuel efficiency.