Energy

1st Law of Thermodynamics – Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

2nd Law of Thermodynamics – Energy tends to disperse, increasing disorder (entropy).

Anthracite Coal – Hard, high-carbon coal used for heating.

Background Radiation – Low-level radiation naturally present in the environment.

Biomass – Organic material used as fuel (e.g., wood, crops).

Bituminous Coal – Soft, black coal used for electricity generation.

Chain Reaction – A process where one reaction triggers more reactions (e.g., in nuclear fission).

Chernobyl, Ukraine – Site of a catastrophic nuclear accident in 1986.

Closed System – A system where energy can enter or leave, but matter cannot.

Control Rod – A device used in nuclear reactors to control the rate of fission.

Curie – A unit of radioactivity, named after Marie Curie.

Fractional Distillation – A process to separate mixtures based on boiling points (used in oil refining).

Energy Efficiency – The percentage of energy used effectively in a system.

Fossil Fuels – Energy sources from ancient plant and animal remains (coal, oil, natural gas).

Fuel Rod – A metal tube containing nuclear fuel, used in reactors.

Geothermal – Energy from the Earth’s heat.

Giga (metric prefix) – 1 billion (10^9).

High-Level Radioactive Waste – Highly radioactive waste, usually from nuclear reactors.

Hoover Dam – A dam on the Colorado River, generating hydroelectric power.

Hydroelectric – Power generated by moving water, typically in dams.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell – A device that generates electricity by combining hydrogen and oxygen.

Ionizing Radiation – Radiation that has enough energy to remove electrons from atoms.

Isotope – Atoms of the same element with different numbers of neutrons.

Kilo (metric prefix) – 1,000 (10^3).

Lignite Coal – Brownish coal, lower quality than bituminous.

Mega (metric prefix) – 1 million (10^6).

Natural Gas – A fossil fuel, primarily methane, used for heating and power.

Nuclear Fission – Splitting atomic nuclei to release energy.

Nuclear Fusion – Combining atomic nuclei to release energy, as in the sun.

Oil Sands – Sand mixed with heavy oil, used for petroleum extraction.

Oil Shale – A type of rock that can be processed to extract oil.

OPEC – Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Open System – A system that exchanges both energy and matter with its surroundings.

Passive Solar – Using sunlight for heating without mechanical devices (e.g., windows).

Peat – Partially decayed organic material, the precursor to coal.

Photovoltaic Cell – A device that converts sunlight directly into electricity.

Radioactive Waste – Waste materials that emit radiation.

Rad (Radiation Absorbed Dose) – A unit of measurement for radiation absorption.

Reclamation – Restoring land after mining or damage.

Scrubber – A device that removes pollutants from exhaust gases.

Synfuel – Synthetic fuel made from coal, oil shale, or biomass.

Three Gorges Dam – A large hydroelectric dam on the Yangtze River in China.

Three Mile Island – Site of a nuclear accident in 1979 in the U.S.

Wind Power – Energy generated by wind turbines.

Yucca Mountain – A proposed U.S. site for nuclear waste storage.