Energy Consumption, Nuclear Power, and the National Grid

Vocabulary flashcards covering nuclear power in South Africa, national electricity grid structures, power rating calculations, energy sources, and solar energy concepts from Grade 9 Natural Sciences.

Koeberg

South Africa's first commercial nuclear power station, located in the Cape, which began operating in $1984$ and uses nuclear fission of uranium to generate electricity.

Nuclear Fission

The process of splitting the U-atom (uranium) to produce heat, which turns a turbine and generator to generate electricity.

National Grid

A network made up of power stations, overhead cables, pylons, and transformers that distributes high-voltage electricity to consumers' meter boxes.

High Voltage Transmission

The transmission of electricity at voltages up to $400000\,\text{V}$ in order to reduce the energy lost as heat along transmission cables.

Electrical Power

The rate of electrical energy supply, measured in watts ($\text{W}$) or kilowatts ($\text{kW}$), where $1\,\text{kW}$ represents a energy usage of $1000\,\text{joules}$ per second.

Power Rating

An appliance label specification given in watts ($\text{W}$) or kilowatts ($\text{kW}$) indicating the rate at which the appliance uses electrical energy per second.

Electricity Cost Formula

$$\text{Cost} = \text{Power rating in kW} \times \text{Time in hours} \times \text{Unit price of electricity}$$

Primary Energy Sources

Energy sources in their original form, including solar energy, water, wind, waves, wood, coal, and uranium.

Secondary Energy Source

An energy source, such as electricity, that is produced from a primary energy source.

Photovoltaic Panels

Devices that convert solar energy into electricity for small buildings such as clinics, households, and schools.