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| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Name the fossil fuels. | oil, coal, and gas |
| What are fossil fuels made from? | long dead animals or plants |
| What are the disadvantages of fossil fuels? | they cause environmental damage and produce greenhouse gases |
| Where are fossils fuels extracted from? | from underground or under the seabed |
| What do power stations produce? | electricity |
| What fuel do most power stations in the UK use? | coal or gas |
| What are the main fuels used by power stations? | fossil fuels, bio-fuels, and nuclear fuel |
| What is oil used for? | the components of oil are used mainly for fuel for transport including cars, ships, and aeroplanes |
| How much energy does 1 kg of fossil fuel release? | about 30 million joules of energy |
| Where does most energy used by humans come from? | fossils fuel - coal, gas and oil in particular |
| How much energy does each person use on average? | about 5000 joules each second which is about 150 thousand million joules per year |
| What are non-renewable fuels? | fuels that will run out oneday, like fossil fuels |
| Name three types of renewable energy? | wind energy, solar energy, and hydroelectricity |
| How does a power station produce electricity from fossil fuels? |
• burning coal or gas is used to heat water in a boiler • the water is heated until it produces steam • the steam drives a turbine • the turbine turns an electricity generator • the electricity generator produces electricity |
| What is a biofuel? | any fuel taken from living or recently living organisms |
| Name an example of a biofuel. | methane |
| Name three renewable sources of methane. | animal manure, sewage works, and decaying rubbish |
| What is biodiesel made from? | waste vegetable oil and plants such as rapeseed |
| Name three biofuels. | ethanol, straw, nutshells, and woodchip |
| How is the biofuel ethanol produced? | it is a product of fermented sugar cane |
| What are the advantages of biofuels? | they are renewable and carbon neutral |
| Why are biofuels described as renewable? | because the biological source can be regrown (plants) or is constantly being produced (sewage) |
| Why are biofuels described as carbon neutral? | because the carbon that is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide is taken from the atmosphere by the living organism that is turned into fuel i.e. what is released is balanced by what is taken in beforehand |
| Where does nuclear fuel take its energy from? | it takes it from the atoms |
| What is the nuclear fuel in a power station? | uranium or plutonium |
| What happens to the atom in a nuclear reactor? | the nucleus spilts and releases energy when it does |
| Describe how a nuclear power station produces electricity. |
• the fuel is kept within sealed containers in the core of the reactor • the nuclei of the atoms of the nuclear reactor split releasing energy • the energy released heats the coolant around the reactor core • the coolant flows to a heat exchanger then back to the reactor core • water in the exchanger is heated to steam • the steam drives turbines • the turbines turn electricity generators 
|
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is renewable energy? | energy from natural sources like wind and water that is constantly replenished by natural processes and never used up |
| What is the carbon impact of renewable energy? | as no fuel is used to produce electricty from these sources, they are carbon-free to run |
| What is a wind turbine? | an electricity generator at the top of a tall tower that is driven by wind
|
| How does a wind turbine work? | the wind turns the blades blades which turns the generator so that it generates electricity |
| How does wind speed affect the operation of a wind turbine? | the power generated increases as wind speed increases |
| What is the disadvantage of wind turbines? | when there is no or little wind, they do not generate any electricity |
| What is a wave generator? | a device that uses the rise and fall of waves to drive a generator
|
| How does a wave generator work? | the rocking motion due the the rise and fall of waves drives a generator that then produces electricity sent via cables to the shore |
| What are the limitations of wave generators? |
• they need to withstand storms • they do not produce a steady supply of electricity • buildings and a lot of cables are required to connect the electricity to the national grid • they may affect tidal flow patterns thus having an impact on marine life |
| What is hydroelectric power? | power derived from fast running or falling water |
| How is a dam used to generate hydroelectricity? |
• water flows downhill from the dam • the moving water turns a turbine • the turbine converts the kinetic energy of the water into electrical energy 
|
| Describe the energy stores involved in the production of hydroelectric power in a dam. | the gravitational potential energy of the water in the dam is converted to kinetic energy as it flows downhill to turn the turbine which in turn converts the kinetic energy of the water into electrical energy |
| What is tidal power? | tidal power is generated using the rise and then the fall in the tides |
| How does a tidal power station work? | the power station traps the water behind a barrage when the tide rises then releases it through turbines that generate electricity |
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Solar Energy | |
| How does the sun transfer energy to the earth? | through solar radiation |
| What are solar cells used to do? | to generate electricity from energy supplied by the sun |
| What are solar heating palnels use to do? | to heat water directly using energy from the sun |
| How much of the energy absorbed by solar panels is converted to electricity? | less than 10 % |
| How are solar panels linked to solar cells? | solar cells connected together are solar panels |
| What are the advantages of solar panels? |
• They cost almost nothing to maintain; • Sun light is free; • 100% inexhaustible energy, which is renewable and free; • clean energy as no toxic or polluting emissions into the air; • Reduces the use of fossil fuels; • Increasingly competitive energy source; • Reduces the need to rely on the electricity grid or natural gas; • Subsidies for self-supply; • Key measure against climate change; • Generates wealth and local employment. |
| What are the disadvantages of solar panels? |
• They are sometimes expensive to purchase and install; • Where sunlight is intermittent, they may not provide a sufficient electricity; • When sunlight is poor, intermittent energy; • Location of the home. |
| What does a solar heating panel do? | a solar heating panel heats water that flows through it |
| What is a solar power tower? | a solar power tower uses thousands of flat mirrors to reflect sunlight on to a big water water tank at the top of a tower |
| How does solar power tower generate electricity? |
• Mirrors on the ground surround the base of the tower with a big water tank at the top of the tower; • The mirrors direct sunlight at the big water tank; • The mirrors are controlled by a computer so that they track the sun; • The heating effect of the solar radiation turns the water in the tank to steam; • The steam is piped down to the ground where it turns electricity generators; |
| How good is a solar power tower at generating electricity? | in a hot dry climate it can generate more than 20MW of electrical power, enough for a few thousand homes |
| Geothermal Energy | |
| What is geothermal energy? | geothermal energy is a type of renewable energy taken from within the earth |
| What makes it hot inside the earth? | radioactive substances within the earth heat the surrounding rock which is then transferred towards the earth's surface |
| Where are geothermal power stations located? | in volcanic areas or where there are hot rocks deep below the surface |
| How does a geothermal power station work? |
• cold water is pumped down to hot rocks • the water is converted to steam • the steam rises to drive turbines at ground level • the turbines generate electricity |
| How is geothermal energy used to heat a building? | geothermal energy is used to heat water in long underground pipes and the hot water is pumped around the building |
| What is another name for heat flow from underground? | ground source heat |
| Can geothermal energy be used directly? | geothermal heat flow can be used directly as under-floor heating |
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What are the main sources of energy for making electricity? | gas, coal, nuclear, renewables, oil, hydro |
| What are fossil fuels? | oil, coal, and gas |
| What are the negative consequences of burning fossil fuels? | burning fossil fuels produce greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide |
| Why is releasing greenhouse gases a problem? | the increasing levels of greenhouse gases are driving global warming and climate change |
| What is the main use for oil? | while some oil is used in oil-fired power stations, much more is used for transport |
| What chemical besides carbon dioxide is produced by burning fossil fuels? | sulphur dioxide |
| What is the problem with sulphur dioxide? | sulphur dioxide causes acid rain |
| How can fossil fuels be prevented from causing acid rain? | the sulphur is removed before the fossil fuels like gas are burned |
| What is the future of fossil fuels? |
• fossil fuels are non-renewable and will someday run out • coal is expected to last longer than oil • alternative sources of energy will need to be found to replace fossil fuels |
| What technology may help to stop carbon dioxide emmissions from power stations? | carbon capture and storage technology CCS |
| What is the most effective way of slowing global warning? | people using fewer fossil fuels |
| What alternatives exist to fossil fuels? |
• renewable energy • nuclear power |
| What are the advantages of nuclear power? |
• does not produce greenhouse gases • a lot more energy is transferred from a kilogram of uranium fuel than from fossil fuel |
| What are the disadvantages of nuclear power? |
• used fuel rods contain radioactive waste which has to be stored safely for centuries before it becomes safe • an explosion in a reactor could release radioactive material over a wide area resulting in hundreds of years of damage |
| What are the advantages of renewable energy? |
• they will never run out as they are being replenished constantly • they do not produce greenhouse gases or acid rain • they do no create radioactive waste products • they can be used where connection to the national grid is uneconomical |
| What are the disadvantages of renewable energy? |
• renewable energy sources are not currently able to meet demand • some people consider turbines ugly and they can produce a whining noise • tidal barrages affect river estuaries and the habits of plants and creatures living there • hydroelectric reservoirs need large reservoirs of water which can affect plant and animal life e.g. dams often require flooding large areas of habitat • solar cells need to cover large areas to generate large amounts of power • some renewable energy sources are not available all the time and some are unreliable eg solar energy is not produced at night and wind power is only produced when the wind blows |
| What must be considered when evaluating energy sources? |
• reliability • environmental effects • pollution • waste |
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Does the time of day have an effect on electricity demand? | Yes, demand varies throughout the day; in general, demand is higher at night than in the day |
| Does the time of year have an effect on electricity demand? | Yes, demand varies with the seasons; in general, demand is higher in summer than in winter |
| How long does it take to set up different power plants? | the start up time depends on the type of power station. From quickest to longest to set up - natural gas, oil, coal, and nuclear |
| Which power stations are best at managing variations in demand? | at present, gas-fired power stations and pumped-storage stations |
| How effective is renewable energy at meeting demand changes? | renewable energy technology is improving rapidly; the challenge with renewable energy is that supply of say light and waves is not always constant |
| What is the challenge with hydroelectic power? | in most cases, there is none as hydroelectric stations are built on vast dams, but where smaller reservoirs are used, there is a chance of themd drying out |
| What is the challenge with wind and wave energy? | when wind and waves are weak, electricity generation is poor, so these forms of energy are only reliable where wind and wave are largely constant |
| What is the challenge with tidal energy? | the height of tide varies with month and season, so this has to be accounted for when generating electricity from tides |
| What is the challenge with solar energy? | the intensity of sun light varies by location and time of day, however, technology is improving rapidly, and even in the UK, solar panels are very effective at producing electricty |
| How is the variable demand for electricity managed? |
• nuclear and coal fired stations provide a constant amount of electricity (the base load demand) • gas-fired power stations and pumped-storage schemes meet daily variation in demand • renewable energy resources provide energy when conditions are good • renewable energy resources can generate energy for storage when demand is low |
| What costs are involved in setting up a power station? | capital costs to build it, running costs for fuel and maintenance, and capital costs to decommission it at the end of its life |
| Which are currently the most expensive power stations to build? | nuclear power stations are currently the most expensive to build, run and decommission |
| How expensive are renewable energy stations? | renewable energy stations can be expensive to install but are usually cheap to run |
| How do capital costs compare across power stations? | usually cheapest for gas fired power stations and most expensive for nuclear stations |
| What is the impact on consumers of the costs of setting up power stations? | the costs of new energy facilities are usually passed on to consumers through increased fuel bills |
| How can consumers reduce their energy costs? |
• improved home insulation • low energy light bulbs • energy efficient appliances • turning off appliances rather than leaving them on stand by |
| Why is it necessary to cut back on fossil fuels for the generation of electricity? | to reduce the production of greenhouse gases |
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