Answer Key - Energy Resources Quiz Review

Energy Resources Review

Energy

  • Generator

    • A device consisting of coils of wire and magnets.

    • Electricity is produced when either coils or magnets are spun.

    • Electricity creation is similar across various sources, excluding solar.

Creating Electricity from Natural Gas

  • Natural gas is burned; the energy released heats water.

  • The heated water produces steam, which is pressurized.

  • Pressurized steam is used to spin turbine blades.

  • Turbine blades are connected to a generator, producing electrical energy.

Fracking

  • Fracking Definition

    • Drilling down into shale layers and horizontally following the shale.

    • Explosives create small cracks in shale.

    • High-pressure fracking fluid is pumped to fracture the shale and access natural gas and oil.

  • Purpose of Fracking Fluid

    • Provides lubrication for sand to hold cracks open, allowing natural gas to escape.

  • Controversy

    • Main concerns about the chemicals in fracking fluid contaminating underground water supplies.

Fracking Pros and Cons

  • Pros

    • Increased natural gas extraction with fewer wells.

    • Reduces dependency on foreign energy sources.

    • Job creation for millions of Americans.

    • Tax revenue for local municipalities.

    • Lowers natural gas prices.

  • Cons

    • Potential for methane leakage into the atmosphere.

    • Linked to earthquakes.

    • Risk of surface chemical spills.

    • Possibility of groundwater contamination.

Alternative Energy

Pros and Cons

  • Wind

    • Perpetual, clean, low operating cost.

    • Cons: Unreliable, intermittency.

  • Solar

    • Perpetual, clean, low operating cost.

    • Cons: Unreliable, intermittency.

  • Nuclear

    • Clean, long fuel life, scalable and reliable.

    • Cons: Expensive upfront costs, radioactive waste.

  • Hydroelectric

    • Clean, low operating cost, reliable.

    • Cons: High initial investment.

  • Geothermal

    • Perpetual, clean, low operating costs.

    • Cons: High setup costs, limited locations.

Benefits of Alternative Energy Resources

  • Do not produce CO2 emissions, renewable except for nuclear.

Definitions of Terms

  • Geothermal Energy: Heat from the Earth’s interior is used for heating structures or generating electricity.

  • Ethanol: Derived from corn, used with gasoline in vehicles.

Energy Sources

  • Limited Location Sources: Geothermal and Wind.

Law of Conservation of Energy

  • Efficiency

    • Ability to perform the same task using less energy.

    • Efficiency is always less than 100% due to the law of conservation of energy.

Comparison with Electrical Energy in Light Bulbs

  • Radiant energy from a bulb is less than electrical energy input due to some energy converting to heat.

Energy Transformations in Electricity Production

  • Process:

    • Coal → water to steam → steam spins turbine → turbine spins generator → electricity.

    • Energy transformations: chemical energy → heat/motion (thermal) → motion (mechanical) → electrical energy.

Energy Trends

  • Challenges of Renewable Energy

    • Wind and solar are unreliable and unpredictable.

  • Current State of Alternative Energy Usage

    • Increasing usage of alternative energy in the U.S.

  • Future of Alternative Energy

    • Expected continued increase in solar and wind energy usage.

Efficiency vs. Conservation

  • Efficiency example: Incandescent bulbs waste energy as heat, yielding low light output.

  • Conservation example: Turning off lights in unoccupied rooms.

  • Efficiency example: Buying new, energy-efficient appliances like dishwashers.

Sustainability

  • Growing populations increase resource demand, possibly making renewable resources unsustainable.

  • Two strategies for sustainability: reducing, reusing, and recycling resources.