energy resources

• energy resource


  anything that can be used to generate power for human use
• biofuels


  renewable fuels derived from biological materials that can be regenerated
• fossil fuels


  Coal, oil, natural gas, and other fuels that are ancient remains of plants and animals.
• nuclear fuels


  fuels derived from radioactive materials that give off energy
• wind power


  The use of a windmill to drive an electric generator
• geothermal power


  thermal energy stored within the earth can be captured and used to generate electricity
• hydroelectricity


  electricity generated from the kinetic energy of moving water
• solar power


  energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy
• tidal power


  Electricity generated by the movement of sea water caused by the tides
• water waves


  devices known as wave energy converters transfer the kinetic energy of waves into electrical energy
• renewable


  able to be created again
• non renewable


  will eventually run out
• what are coal, oil and gas used for?

  heating and cooking
• what do combustion engines use?

  fossil fuels and bio-fuels
• how can electricity be produced?

  a turbine drives a generator which uses electromagnetic induction to generate electricity.
• what can a turbine be turned by?

  wind, water or steam which can be produced by geothermal energy or burning fuels
• what does the demand for electricity vary by?

  the time of day/year
• how does cost affect energy sources?


  some sources are expensive to build and maintain.
• how does harm affect energy sources?

  some sources can be damaging to the environment
• how does difficulty affect energy sources?

  certain types of energy source are hard to locate because they require very specific locations.
• how does harvesting raw materials affect the environment?

  methods such as mining can be environmentally destructive, harmful to wildlife and can pose a high risk to human workers.
• how does the site location affect the environment?

  they can disrupt eco-systems and destroy habitats
• how can by-products affect the environment?

  harmful radioactive waste can be produced.
• why are wind turbines unreliable?

  they are dependant on the weather
• what are the advantages of fossil fuels?

  it is cheap and reliable
• what are the disadvantages of fossil fuels?

  they release greenhouse gases
• what are the advantages of nuclear power?

  it is cheap and little waste is produced.
• what are the disadvantages of nuclear power?

  fossil fuels are used in mining fuels and the waste can be used to make nuclear weapons.
• what are the advantages of tidal power?

  it is cheap to run and is long lasting, as well as having a high power output
• what are the disadvantages of tidal power?

  it destroys habitats and is expensive to build.
• what are the advantages of geothermal power?


  it lasts a long time and no fuel is required
• what are the disadvantages of geothermal power?

  it is expensive to build and there are only a few suitable locations
• what are the advantages of hydroelectricity?

  it lasts a long time and it is very reliable
• what are the disadvantages of hydroelectricity?

  it is expensive and it can destroy habitats
• carbon neutral


  an activity that does not change atmospheric CO2 concentrations