Energy Resources and Environmental Physics Flashcards

A set of 15 vocabulary flashcards covering definitions, energy forms, conservation laws, primary/secondary sources, renewable/nonrenewable classifications, and geothermal energy from the lecture.

Energy

The capacity to do work, calculated as force times distance, with the SI unit of joule.

One Joule

The energy used up when a force of one newton ($1\,N$) moves through a distance of one meter ($1\,m$).

Kinetic Energy

The energy a body possesses due to its motion, expressed mathematically as $\frac{1}{2} m v^2$.

Potential Energy

The energy a body possesses due to its position, expressed mathematically as $m g h$.

Chemical Energy

The energy locked up in the chemical bonds of compounds, such as foods and hydrocarbons, which is released when food is eaten or hydrocarbons are burned.

Nuclear Energy

The energy stored in atoms that is released during nuclear fission or fusion.

Law of Conservation of Energy

A law stating that energy can neither be created nor destroyed, but can be changed from one form to another, keeping the total energy of an isolated system constant.

Conservation of Energy (Practice)

The practice of decreasing the amount of energy used while achieving the same outcome at the end.

Energy Source

A type of matter or material from which energy can be obtained in an economical and commercially viable quantity.

Primary Energy Sources

Sources of energy that occur naturally and from which energy is tapped directly, such as the sun, wind, wood, water, coal, oil, and radioactive atomic nuclei.

Secondary Energy Sources

Functional energy sources obtained from the processing of primary energy sources, such as kerosene, gas, petrol, and electricity.

Renewable Energy Sources

Natural resources that replenish themselves continuously and never run out, contributing approximately $29.3\%$ of energy used.

Nonrenewable Energy Sources

Finite energy sources that exist in limited amounts, cannot be replenished at the same rate they are consumed, and will eventually run out.

Fossil Fuels

Energy sources formed when dead plants and animals decompose and are compressed under pressure from tons of rocks and seas.

Geothermal Energy

Heat energy originating from the Earth's hot core ("geo" meaning earth, "thermal" meaning heat) produced by nuclear changes deep beneath the earth.