Sources of Energy

What are some examples of natural resources?

Air, water, soil, sunlight.

What is a natural resource?

Anything from nature that people use.

What is a renewable resource?

A resource that can be used again or is naturally replaced quickly.

What is a nonrenewable resource?

A resource that takes millions of years to form and cannot be replaced quickly.

Give an example of a nonrenewable resource.

Fossil fuels like coal or oil.

What are fossil fuels made from?

Ancient plants and animals that were buried and compressed over millions of years.

What are the types of fossil fuels?

Coal (solid), oil/petroleum (liquid), and natural gas (gas).

How do we get energy from fossil fuels?

By burning them.

What is the original source of energy for fossil fuels?

The original source of energy for fossil fuels is the sun.

How is coal formed?

Coals are formed from dead plants that were compressed and buried.

What are some uses of coal?

Some uses of coals include electricity generation, steel production, and as a liquid fuel.

What are the problems with coal?

Causes pollution and land damage from mining.

How is oil (petroleum) formed?

From ancient marine organisms under heat and pressure.

What are some uses of petroleum?

Fuel, plastics, lubricants, fertilizers, and cosmetics.

What are the problems with oil?

Pollution and oil spills.

How is natural gas formed?

How is natural gas formed?

What are the benefits of natural gas?

Burns cleaner than coal and oil.

What are the problems with natural gas?

Fracking risks and it still contributes to global warming.

What is nuclear fission?

Splitting an atom’s nucleus to release energy.

What fuel is used in nuclear energy?

Uranium

What percentage of U.S. electricity comes from nuclear power?

About 20%

What is the main cause of global warming?

Burning fossil fuels that release CO₂.

How much has CO₂ increased in 200 years?

45%

Why do fossil fuels affect world politics?

Countries fight over access to them, causing conflict and war

Example of fossil fuel conflict?

Iraq invaded Kuwait to control oil fields.

What are alternative energy resources?

Renewable sources like solar, wind, water, geothermal, and biomass.

What is a renewable resource?

A resource that is always available or quickly replaced.

How does solar energy work?

Sunlight is used for heat (passive) or turned into electricity (active).

How does hydroelectric power work?

Moving water turns turbines to create electricity.

What causes wind energy?

The sun heats the Earth unevenly, moving air.

Where does geothermal energy come from?

Heat inside the Earth.

What is bioenergy made from?

Biomass like plants, waste, and biofuels.