APES- Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption Review

Compare a nonrenewable to a renewable energy source.

Renewable energies generate from natural sources that can be replaced over a relatively short time scale.

Nonrenewable energies come from resources that are not replaced or are replaced only very slowly by natural processes.

Identify four examples of renewable resources and four examples of nonrenewable resources.

Renewable: solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, biomass

Non-renewable: Coal, Oil, Natural Gas

How do developed and developing countries compare when it comes to energy consumption? Why?

Generally, we see that a person living in a developed country, which has a highly developed economy, will consume more energy than a person living in a developing country that is non-industrialized and poor. If the economy of a developing country improves, the energy consumption for that country rises.

What type of country (developed or developing) uses more fossil fuels? Why?

Developed countries use more fossil fuels because it is less available and more expensive compared to using biomass.

Does industrialization lead to high energy consumption rates? Why/why not?

Industrialization leads to high energy consumption because of the increased demand to run factories and keep up with demand.

Why is wood fuel commonly used in developing countries?

Wood is commonly used because of its availability and its cheaper price.

What are some environmental concerns with using wood as an energy source?

Deforestation from the inability to replant as quickly as the trees are being used.

Also, carbon dioxide release which contributes to global climate change.

List three air pollutants that are emitted during the burning of coal.

Sulfur Oxides (SOx), Carbon Dioxide, Mercury, Nitro Oxides (NOx)

List three sources of methane that are amplified by human activities.

Animal Agriculture (cow farts!), Landfills, Biomass Burning (remember the bio gas chambers)

How is methane naturally produced?

Methane is produced during anaerobic bacterial decomposition (examples: rice paddies, wetlands)

Strengthen this weak statement: "Fossil fuel use releases carbon dioxide, which causes the greenhouse effect."

Burning fossil fuels releases carbon that was sequestered underground adding to the net greenhouse gas content of the atmosphere which causes increased rates of global climate change.

List 4 products that are derived primarily from crude oil.

Asphalt, Gasoline, Heating Oil, Jet Fuel, Diesel Oil, Naphtha

Compare tar sand to oil shales. What are some environmental concerns of each of these?

Oil shale is a form of sedimentary rock that contains petroleum-like liquid. Petroleum products are retrieved by fracking.

Tar sands are a combination of clay, sand, water and bitumen, which is a heavy hydrocarbon. Petroleum products stick to the sand and must be "blasted out" using hot water. This is extremely expensive and detrimental to the environment. We find tar sands in Canada.

What is co generation? Why does this process increase efficiency?

The generation of electricity and other energy jointly, especially the utilization of the steam left over from electricity generation to produce heat.

Which country uses the most coal?

Which country uses the most coal?

China

Which country uses the most crude oil?

USA

Which country uses the most natural gas?

USA

Which country uses the most Uranium 235?

USA

Which country uses the most Geothermal?

USA

Describe how fossil fuels are ignited and converted into electricity.

The fossil fuels are then burned to heat water. When the fossil fuels' many hydrocarbon bonds are broken, they release large amounts of energy. The steam from the water then increases in pressure, forcing a turbine to spin. The turbine is used to rotate a magnet encased in a generator at high speeds. As the magnet spins, electrons are produced, and they power the electricity grid.

How does wind energy operate?

Wind: Wind turns the propeller-like blades of a turbine around a rotor, which spins a generator, which creates electricity.

How does geothermal energy operate?

Geothermal:A geothermal power plant works by tapping into steam or hot water reservoirs underground; the heat is used to drive an electrical generator.

How does hydroelectric energy operate?

Hydroelectric: Hydro-power plants capture the energy of falling water to generate electricity. A turbine converts the kinetic energy of falling water into mechanical energy. Then a generator converts the mechanical energy from the turbine into electrical energy.

Fracking is short for ______________ ______________ and it is a concern because...

hydraulic fracturing ... it contaminates groundwater, releases methane, and uses massive amounts of water.

How does fracking pollute the groundwater?

Leakage from storage areas, injection wells, along faults

Compare a fuel rod to a control rod. How do they work together?

Fuel rods contain the fuel that fission and heats the water. Control rods are used within the fuel rods to control reactivity.

State where Chernobyl is located and explain what happened there.

Chernobyl is located in the former USSR now Ukraine, and there was a nuclear meltdown there. It is still closed and an exclusion zone today.

Explain what happened at Three Mile Island, and why it is significant.

Three mile island is the United States' worst and only nuclear event. The reactor partially melted down but only minimal radiation escaped the contaminant unit.

Explain what happened at Fukushima Daiichi and why it is significant.

Occurred in 2011 when a tsunami hit the nuclear power plant. Meltdowns occurred in 3 out of the 6 reactors. No fatalities or radiation sickness was reported.

Explain how thermal pollution is produced by power plants.

In most power plants, large amounts of heat is produced to turn water to steam, which turns a turbine, which is connected to a generator. This steam is condensed and recycled using cooler water. This heated water is returned to a nearby river or stream which can cause thermal shock to organisms living in the lake.

What is biomass and how is it converted into an energy source?

Organic matter used as a fuel. Solid biomass, such as wood and garbage, can be burned directly to produce heat.

What is biogas and how is it converted into an energy source?

Bio gas is a type of bio fuel that is naturally produced from the decomposition of organic waste. In most cases, bio gas is used as fuel for combustion engines, which convert it to mechanical energy, powering an electric generator to produce electricity.

Compare passive and active solar energy.

There are two ways to harness solar energy. Passive systems are structures whose design, placement, or materials optimize the use of heat or light directly from the sun. Active systems have devices to convert the sun's energy into a more usable form, such as hot water or electricity.

Explain how electricity is produced by a dam.

Water flows in through an intake and flows through the dam which then spins the turbine and powers the generator.

How is geothermal energy generated?

Geothermal power plants use steam to produce electricity. The steam comes from reservoirs of hot water found a few miles or more below the earth's surface. The steam rotates a turbine that activates a generator, which produces electricity.

Describe the basic components of a fuel cell.

A fuel cell works by passing hydrogen through the anode of a fuel cell and oxygen through the cathode. At the anode site, the hydrogen molecules are split into electrons and protons.

What are the cons of fuel cells?

-It's expensive. While widely available, hydrogen is expensive

-It's difficult to store. Hydrogen is very hard to move around

-It's highly flammable

-It's dependent on fossil fuels

What are the pros of fuel cells?

-Cleaner

-Reduced greenhouse gas emissions

-Hydrogen is abundant

How does a wind turbine work?

Wind turns the propeller-like blades of a turbine around a rotor, which spins a generator, which creates electricity.

What are the cons of wind turbines?

-Noise pollution

-Interferes with bird migration

What are the pros of wind turbines?

-Low costs

-Efficient use of space

List four things you could do to conserve energy.

1) Use energy star appliances

2) Switch to LED lights

3) Walk, bike, carpool

4) Double-paned windows

If the cost of gas is $3.50 per gallon and the average gas mileage of a car is 25 mpg, what is the cost of driving the car per mile?

$3.50/gal • 1 gal/25 miles = $0.14

A family has a total of 1500 Watts of light bulbs throughout their house. If they replace them all with LED light bulbs, which use 90% less energy, how many watts of electricity will the family now use?

1500 W • .10 = 150 W

A space heater operates at 1500 Watts. If it is used for 10 hours each day for one week, and the cost of electricity is 20 cents per kilowatt-hour, how much will it cost to operate the heater for the week?

1500 W • 10 hours * 1 kW/1000 KW • $0.20 = $3.00 / day • 7 days = $21.00

A 60-Watt light bulb that is used for an average of 4 hours each day uses how many kilowatt-hours of electricity per year?

60 W • 4 hr = 240 Whr • 1 kw/1000W = 0.240 kWh/day • 365 days/year = 87.6 kWh/year