Chapter 16: Energy Sources

Renewable Resource

________: an energy source that is replaced nearly as quickly as it is used.

Power Lines

________ carry the electrical energy you use every day.

Petroleum Products

When ________ and coal are burned, smoke is given off that contains small particles called particulates.

Windmills

________ also can use the energy of the wind to generate electricity.

Nonrenewable Resources

________: sources that can not be replaced by natural processes as quickly as they are used.

Natural Gas

________ contains more energy per kilogram than petroleum or coal does.

Solar Cells

________ convert radiant energy from the Sun to electricity.

Fossil Fuels

When ________ are burned, carbon and hydrogen atoms combine with oxygen molecules in the air to form carbon dioxide and water molecules.

Petroleum

________: highly flammable liquid formed by decayed ancient organisms, such as microscopic plankton and algae.

Chernobyl

An explosion occurred at the ________ reactor in the Ukraine after graphite control rods caught fire.

Helium

________ is not radioactive and is chemically nonreactive.

Hydroelectricity

________: Electricity produced from the energy of moving water.

Heat

________ is generated within Earth by the decay of radioactive elements.

Biomass

________: renewable organic matter, such as wood, sugarcane fibers, rice hulls, and animal manure.

environmental damage

The mining of the uranium can cause ________.

Ancient Organisms

The chemical processes that produce petroleum as ________ decay also produce gaseous compounds called natural gas.

Coal

________ also is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons and other chemical compounds.

Thermonuclear Fusion

________ is the joining together of small nuclei at high temperatures.

Nuclear Fusion

In ________, two smaller nuclei join together to form a larger nucleus.

Geothermal Energy

________: The thermal energy that is contained in hot magma.

Fission Reaction

Water or another coolant is pumped through the core to remove the heat produced by the ________.

Nucleus Splits

When a neutron strikes the nucleus of a U- 235 atom, the ________ apart into two smaller nuclei.

Fuel Rods

The ________ are bundled together, and the bundle is covered with a metal alloy.

Nuclear Reactors

________ have elaborate systems of safeguards, strict safety precautions, and highly trained workers in order to prevent accidents.

Nuclear Waste

________: any radioactive by- product that results when radioactive materials are used.

Photovoltaic Cell

________: converts radiant energy from the Sun directly into electrical energy.

Coal mines

________ were once the sites of ancient swamps.

Nuclear Radiation

The water absorbs the ________ and prevents it from escaping into the environment.

Fossil Fuels

________ are burned to generate electricity in a power plant.

Natural Gas

________ is burned to provide energy for cooking, heating, and manufacturing.

Petroleum

________ is a mixture of thousands of chemical compounds.

Solar Cells

________ are made of two layers of semiconductor materials sandwiched between two layers of con- ducting metal.

Coal

________ is a solid fossil fuel that is found in mines underground.

Fossil Fuels

________: formed from the decaying remains of ancient plants and animals.

Fossil Fuels

When ________ are burned in power plants, not all of the chemical energy stored in the fuels is converted into electrical energy.

Fossil Fuels

formed from the decaying remains of ancient plants and animals

Petroleum

highly flammable liquid formed by decayed ancient organisms, such as microscopic plankton and algae

Nonrenewable Resources

sources that cannot be replaced by natural processes as quickly as they are used

Nuclear Reactor

uses the energy from controlled nuclear reactions to generate electricity

Nuclear Waste

any radioactive by-product that results when radioactive materials are used

Renewable Resource

an energy source that is replaced nearly as quickly as it is used

Photovoltaic Cell

converts radiant energy from the Sun directly into electrical energy

Hydroelectricity

Electricity produced from the energy of moving water

Geothermal Energy

The thermal energy that is contained in hot magma

Biomass

renewable organic matter, such as wood, sugarcane fibers, rice hulls, and animal manure