Which type of fossil fuel power station has the shortest start-up time?
Gas
Give one other advantage of using the wind and solar cells to generate electricity.
No pollution
If wood is to be used as a renewable energy source, what must be done each time a tree is chopped down?
Plant a new one
Name non-renewable energy resources.
nuclear
oil
coal
gas
Describe the action and purpose of a solar panel.
water heated by radiation
water used to heat buildings
State one other factor that would affect the amount of energy transferred during daylight hours.
angle of tilt of cells
Give one disadvantage of a conventional large-scale hydroelectric power station compared to the micro-hydroelectric system.
large areas of land are flooded
What is the National Grid?
system of cables and transformers
Explain why transferring the electricity directly to local homes is more efficient than using the National Grid to distribute the electricity.
less energy loss as cables are shorter
How is the National Grid designed to reduce energy losses during transmission?
increase voltage
Describe how 'carbon capture' would prevent the build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
carbon dioxide is not released but is stored
Give one reason why the householder should stay connected to the National Grid
electricity demand may be greater than supply
The step-up transformer increases the efficiency of the National Grid. Explain how.
decreases the current reducing energy loss
Explain one effect that burning fossil fuels has on the environment.
produces carbon dioxide causing global warming
What is the importance of the short start-up time?
to meet surges in demand
Give one advantage of a pumped storage hydroelectric power station.
can store energy for later use
What is meant by a reliable way of generating electricity?
source is constant
What does it mean to decommission a nuclear power station?
remove radioactive waste
The voltage across the overhead cables of the National Grid needs to be much higher than the output voltage from the power station generators. Explain why.
the current is reduced reducing the energy and increasing efficiency
The types of energy
Wind turbine converting wind power to kinetic energy of the turbine leading to mechanical power to electrical power
Renewable energy can be replenished.
Renewable energy doesn’t damage the environment.
Advantages
don’t cause much damage to the environment
will never run out of these resources
renewable energy resources are not always the most reliable forms of energy
renewable energy resources depend on the weather, such as the Sun, wind and waves which are quite unpredictable
Common uses of Energy resources
Transport
Electricity Generation
Heating
Transport
In terms of a non-renewable resource, components of oil (petrol and diesel) can be used to fuel cars. As for renewable resources, some cars run on biofuels, which can be derived from vegetable oils.
Electricity Generation
Some buildings have solar panelsusing solar power to convert sunlight into electricity. Wind turbines can also do a similar job; the rotating blades will turn a generator which will generate electricity.
Heating
Commonly, natural gas is used to heat up water which then runs through radiators in a house. If not, renewable energy resources can be used, such as biofuels or solar panels
Issues caused by non-renewable resources
Greenhouse gases
Acid rain
Greenhouse gases
Burning fossil fuels cause to the environment through the production of greenhouse gases. When burnt, non renewable resources release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This CO2 contributes to global warming.
Acid Rain
Burning of fossil fuels, produces sulphur dioxide, which causes acid rain. This acid rain can damage buildings, kill fish in lakes and also be harmful to trees.
Radioactive waste
when nuclear fuels are used, extremely harmful radioactive waste is created. This waste is very difficult to get rid of and causes damage to the environment and humans.
Energy resources can be divided into two main categories: renewable and non-renewable.
Renewable energy resources
solar
wind
hydro
geothermal energy
non-renewable energy resources
fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas.
Renewable energy sources are significant as they are unlimited and don't emit harmful pollutants like greenhouse gases. They are also considered more environmentally friendly than non-renewable energy sources.
Non-renewable energy sources are significant as they are still the primary source of energy for many countries, providing a reliable and relatively cheap source of energy. However, they are finite and the extraction of these resources can have negative environmental impacts.
Renewable energy resource
An energy source which can be replenished as it is being used up