Main Points

• • Magnetic
  • Electrostatic
  • Nuclear
  • Gravitational Potential
  • Thermal
  • Elastic Potential
  • Chemical
  • Kinetic
• Conservation of energy = Energy cannot be created or destroyed only transferred from one store to another
• Kinetic energy = The energy stored in moving objects
• Elastic Potential = The energy stored when an object is stretched or squashed
• Spring constant = A measurement of how stiff an object is
• Extension = Change in length
• Gravitational potential energy = the energy stored in an object at height
• Mass = the amount of matter in an object
• Gravitation field strength = the gravitational force exerted per unit mass
• Specific heat capacity = energy required to raise the temperature of 1kg of a substance by 1 degree celcius
• Specific Heat Capacity Practical

  1. Measure the mass of the block using a balance

  2. Insert the thermometer and the immersion heater into the appropriate holes

  3. Connect the immersion heater, ammeter and powerpack in series

  4. Connect the voltmeter in parallel around the immersion heater

  5. Simultaneously, start the stopwatch and turn on the power pack

  6. Record the current, voltage and temperature

  7. Record the temperature of the block every 60s for 600s

  8. After 600s, turn off the power pack
• Power = how much energy you have transferred in a given time
• The 3 main ways that we use energy are:

  • Transport
  • Heating
  • Electricity
• Energy resource = A useful supply of energy
• Renewable energy resource = one that is being replenished as it is used
• Non-renewable energy resource = one that is not being replenished as it is used
• The renewable energy resources are:

  • Biomass
  • Wind
  • Hydroelectric
  • Tidal
  • Wave
  • Geothermal
  • Solar
  • Kinetic pumped storage
• The non-renewable energy resources are:

  • Coal
  • Oil
  • Gas
  • Nuclear
• Fossil Fuel = a non-renewable energy source which is formed from the remains of living organisms over millions of years
• The 3 main fossil fuels are:

  • Coal
  • Oil
  • Natural Gas
• Nuclear is not a fossil fuel because it is formed from exploding stars
• Greenhouse effect -

  • As more fossil fuels are burned, more carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere
  • These gases allow radiation from the sun to enter the Earth's atmosphere but not to escape
• The greenhouse effect causes the average temperature on Earth to rise. This is known as global warming.
• The temperature rise causes surface ice to melt leading to:

  • Rising sea level
  • Flooding
  • Change in weather patterns
• Formation of acid rain:

  • Burning fossil fuels produces sulphur dioxide
  • It dissolves into the water in the atmosphere producing sulphuric acid
• When acid rain precipitates it:

  • Flows into water = killing wildlife
  • Absorbs into soil = destroying plants and crops
  • Corrodes statues and buildings
• When a fossil fuel is burned the 2 main waste products are carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and contributes to climate change. Sulphur dioxide, when dissolved in rainwater, causes acid rain. Nuclear power stations do not produce these pollutants because they don't burn fossil fuels.
• Solar -

  • It is renewable
  • Sun emits light which is converted to electricity using solar cells
• The advantages of solar power are:

  • renewable = being replenished so will not run out
  • Doesn't produce CO2 = once in place so doesn't contribute towards climate change
• The disadvantages of solar are:

  • Not reliable = Doesn't work well when cloudy
  • Expensive = Solar cells can be expensive to produce
• Wind -

  • It is renewable
  • The wind turns the turbine generating electricity
• The advantages of wind are:

  • Renewable = Being replenished so will not run out
  • Doesn't produce CO2 = Once in place so doesn't contribute towards climate change
• The disadvantages of wind are:

  • Not reliable = doesn't work when it's not windy
  • Visual pollution = considered to be unsightly
  • Noise pollution = considered to be noisy
• Wave -

  • It is renewable
  • Wave energy converters move up and down in water to generate electricity
• The advantages of wave are:

  • Renewable = being replenished so will not run out
  • Doesn't produce CO2 = Once in place so doesn't contribute towards climate change
  • Reliable = There are two tides per day
• The disadvantages of wave are:

  • Expensive = WEC's are costly
  • Visual pollution = WEC's are considered to be unsightly
  • Economic impact = WEC's may affect shipping routes
• Tidal -

  • It is renewable
  • Large bodies of water get trapped then released at high tide. Water flow generate electricity
• The advantages of tidal -

  • Renewable = Being replenished so it will not run out
  • Doesn't produce CO2 = Once in place so does not contribute towards climate change
  • Reliable = There are two tides per day
• The disadvantages of tidal are:

  • Expensive = Dams are costly to build
  • Environmental and social impact = Dams may cause flooding of habitats, farmland and housing
• Hydro-electric -

  • It is renewable
  • Rivers can be dammed so that the water flows through a turbine which generates electricity