Renewable and non-renewable energy resources: Energy: Physics: GCSE (9:1)

• Energy resource

  A useful supply or store of energy

  
• Non-renewable


  Energy sources that they are being used at a higher rate than they can be replaced so will eventually run out (finite)

  
• Examples of non-renewable resources

  Fossil fuels (coal, crude oil, natural gas), nuclear fuels (uranium, plutonium)

  
• Finite

  Something that has a limited number of uses before it runs out

  
• Renewable

  Energy sources that are (or can be) replenished as they are being used so will not run out

  
• Examples of renewable resources


  Bio-fuels, solar, wind, geothermal, wave, tidal, hydroelectric

  
• Replenishing renewable resources

  Human action, natural processes

  
• Fossil fuels

  Fuels formed from the remains of living organisms (coal, crude oil, natural gas)

  
• Nuclear fuels


  Radioactive materials used in nuclear reactors (uranium, plutonium)

  
• Bio-fuels

  Fuels made from plant and animal waste (wood; bio-diesel)

  
• Resources used for transport

  Fossil fuels, bio-fuels

  
• Resources used for heating

  Fossil fuels, bio-fuels, geothermal, solar

  
• Resources used to generate electricity

  Fossil fuels, nuclear fuels, bio-fuels, solar, wind, geothermal, wave, tidal, hydroelectric

  
• Reliable (energy resource)


  an energy resource that can supply enough energy to meet demand at predictable times
• Examples of reliable resources

  Fossil fuels, nuclear fuels, bio-fuels, tidal, hydroelectric and geothermal
• Environmental impact

  the damage to the environment caused by using an energy resource to produce electricity

  
• Examples of environmental impact


  Pollution, harmful waste products and loss of habitats
• Pollution


  Damage to the land, air or water caused by a toxic chemical or an object

  
• Atmospheric pollution

  Carbon dioxide released from burning fossil fuels and bio-fuels, sulfur dioxide released from burning coal

  
• Carbon neutral


  Burning bio-fuels can be considered a carbon neutral process because it releases the same amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as the crops absorbed for photosynthesis when they were growing