Chapter 10: Energy Resources and Consumption

Nonrenewable energy source

Coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear energy resources that cant be renewed or regrown for thousands or millions of years

Renewable energy source

Wind, biomass, hydrogen, water, and solar energy resources that can be renewed or regrown rather quickly

Fossil fuels

Energy sources that come from organisms that lived millions of years ago. After being buried with heat and pressure, they have become coal, oil, or natural gas.

Peat

Partially decayed plant matter that is used for cooking or heating in parts of Europe

Lignite

The least efficient type of coal that generates the least amount of heat and isnt very common

Bituminous

The type of coal used the most because it is very abundant and generates a lot of heat

Anthracite

The most efficient type of coal that generates the maximum amount of heat but isnt very common and is more expensive

Cogeneration

Creating electricity and heat from one energy source

Turbine

A giant fan-type structure that is turned by steam or water (hydroelectric power) and connected to a generator to make electrical energy

Fracking

forcing liquid at very high pressures down into the rock to cause the oil or gas to be released

Combustion

The burning of fuel to produce energy

Fission

The splitting atoms for energy

Uranium 235

The radioactive isotope used to create nuclear power

Radioactivity

The radiation emitted from a nuclear isotope

Thermal pollution

The heat that is produced by nuclear power generation that can be a pollutant to aquatic organisms

Three Mile Island

A nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania where a small nuclear accident occurred, releasing some radiation

Chernobyl

A nuclear power plant in the Ukraine where a large nuclear meltdown occurred, releasing a lot of radiation

Fukushima

A nuclear power plant in Japan where a tsunami and earthquake caused a release of radiation

Half-life

The time it takes for nuclear isotope to lose half of its radioactivity

Biomass

Organic matter that can be used for heating or cooking or fuel. Example: wood from trees or ethanol from decaying plant matter.

Ethanol

A substitute for gasoline that is made from decaying plant matter

Photovoltaic solar cell

A cell that captures light from the sun and converts it into electricity

Active solar energy

Turning solar energy into electricity or heat and can be stored

Passive solar energy

Using the sun to heat or blocking the sun to cool a house or building

Hydroelectric power

Using the power of a river or tides to turn a turbine to generate electricity

Geothermal energy

Using the heat below the surface of the Earth to make steam to turn a turbine to generate electricity

Hydrogen fuel cells

Taking H2 and O2 and producing water, heat, and electricity

Kinetic energy

The energy of motion as in the turning of a turbine