Energy resources

pros of dams

1. can generate large amounts of energy with no pollution

2. reliable sources of electrcity

3. hydroelectric dams in particular provide an immediate response to the increased demand of electricity

4. running costs are low

5. can work on both large and small scales

cons of dams

1. can have big impacts on surrounding environments such as flooding villages and important habitats

2. stops boats and fish from travelling up or down the river which can negatively affect fish migrations

3. setting up is expensive

How can wind power be captured

Using wind turbines

Where are wind turbines usually found

Exposed places like coasts and countrysides that have strong winds

How do wind turbines work to generate electricity

Each blade has a generator, everytime a blade turns due to wind, kinetic energy is converted to electrical energy which can then be transported through the national grid. The spinning action turns the generator which produces electricity

How is solar power generated

Generated by solar cells often in the form of solar panels

Where are solar panels used

Watches, calculators and remoteplaces that aren't connected to the main power bridge

Pros of wind and solar

Low running costs

Don't produce any pollutants so don't damage the environment

Cons of wind and solar

High upfront costs

Making them produces pollutants

Dependent on weather

No way to increase supply in times of peak demand

Take up lots of space

Not aesthetically pleasing

Need lots of them to generate electricity

what is a fossil fuel

a hydrocarbon containing material formed naturally in the earth’s crust from the remains of dead plants and animals, formed under intense pressure and heat

what are uses of fossil fuels

1. burned to provide heat for different use eg. cooking

2. to power engines (eg. internal combustion in car engines)

3. to generate electricity

3 pros of fossil fuel

1. cheap

2. can be used in any conditions doesn’t need special weather conditions to work

3. most of our current infrastructure is designed to run on fossil fuels

3 cons of fossil fuels

1. limited resource so will run out one day / finite

2. produce CO₂ when burned which is a GHG and so contributes to global warming

3. produce toxic gases when burned eg. sulfur dioxide

how is nuclear energy obtained

obtained via nuclear reactions such as fission reactions in nuclear power stations

what can nuclear energy be used for

to generate electricity, which can then be transmitted to homes and factories across the country

pros of nuclear energy

1. don’t produce any pollutants like CO₂

2. can be used in any conditions so not dependent on weather

3. very unlikely to run out for a long time

cons of nuclear energy

1. expensive

2. produces radioactive waste which remains harmful for thousands of years, so must be stored carefully

3. in the small chance of a nuclear meltdown it could release large amounts of radiation into the environment

4. technically a finite resource ( won’t run out for a long time though)

what is a renewable energy resource

resources that can be replenished quickly ( within a human lifetime) and so don’t get used up

what is a non - renewable energy resource

resources that aren’t replenished so are in a limited supply

what is the energy used for in the UK

transport

industry

domestic uses such as cooking

electricity isn’t strictly ——- or —- ——— it depends on how it’s made

renewable or non renewable

what is geothermal power

thermal energy generated and stored in the earth's crust (from radioactive decay), also heats up hot springs around the world

how is geothermal power used to generate heat

involves pumping water down into the ground, allowing it to heat up then pumping it back up to the surface to heat our homes

how is geothermal power used to generate electricity

we leave the water underground until it heats up so much that it's converted to steam, as the steam rises, the gas turns turbines which drives the generators to produce electricity

pros of geothermal power

1. installing the plant only damages the environment very slightly

2. while running doesn't produce any pollutants

3. renewable resource

cons of geothermal power

1. can only be used in specific regions such as volcanic regions

2. the power plants required can be expensive to build