National and global energy resources

• 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