Nonrenewable Energy Flashcards

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to nonrenewable energy sources.

Fossil Fuels

Include coal, oil, and natural gas, formed over millennia from the remains of organisms without oxygen.

Coal

Formed from plant remains subjected to high heat and pressure, provides over ¼ of the world’s energy.

Strip Mining

Overlaying rock and soil are removed to access coal, safer for miners.

Subsurface Mining

Underground shafts are dug to access coal under Earth’s Surface, better for the environment.

Oil

Dark, liquid fossil fuel made up mostly of hydrocarbons, formed from ancient marine organisms.

Primary Extraction

Oil flows out of the well because it is already under pressure.

Secondary Extraction

Increased pressure or injections needed to remove the rest of the oil.

Natural Gas

Primarily methane gas, often found above oil or coal deposits, much less polluting than coal or oil.

Oil Sands

New oil sources that are expensive, energy-intensive, and can be hazardous to obtain.

Energy Conservation

The practice of reducing energy use to make fossil fuels last and to prevent environmental damage.

Nuclear Fission

Splits an atomic nucleus into two smaller nuclei, releasing neutrons and large amounts of energy.

Nuclear Waste

Waste from nuclear power plants that must be stored for thousands of years in a geologically stable location.

Nuclear Fusion

Joining two atomic nuclei to form one nucleus, releases much more energy than fission but currently impractical.