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P3: Energy resources - Coggle Diagram
P3: Energy resources
Renewable energy resources
Renewable energy sources will never run out: They do not damage the environment but they do not provide much energy and some are unreliable and depend on weather.
Wind
Tide
Hydroelectricty
Bio-fuel
Geothermal
Solar
Wave
Wind power
Wind turbines have generators inside so when they blades rotate they turn the generator and produce electricity. No pollution is created in this process but they do take up a lot of space and spoil the view. They are also noisy. Wind turbines can stop rotating when there is no wind or if the wind is too strong. The initial costs are quite high but there are no running costs.
Solar cells
Solar cells generate electricity from sunlight. They are useful for things that only need a small amount of electricity such as in watches or calculators or in remote places. They are expensive but cost nothing to run. Dependent on the Sun, so when there is no sun they do not work.
Geothermal power
This is possible in volcanic areas or where there are hot rocks. The energy comes from the energy released by radioactive subsrances in the Earth. It is reliable and can generate electricity and heat buildings directly. The only drawacks are that there are not many suitable locations for power plants and the cost of building them are high.
Hydro-electricity
Hydro- electricity generators are turned by water running downhill. It can be generated when rainwater is collected in a resevoir or water being pumped. No pollution is created but there is loss of land and habitat. It is reliable unless a country has a lot of drought. The initial cost is high but there are not a lot of running costs.
Wave power
A wave generator uses the waves to make a floating generator move up and down. This motion turns the generator so it generates electricity but only on a small-scale. There is no pollution but it may disturb the seabed and habitats of marine life. They are unreliable as waves tend to die out. Initial costs are high but running costs are low.
Tide
Tidal barrages are big dams built across river estuaries with turbines in them. As the tide come in it fills up the estuary and the water is allowed out through the turbines. There is no pollution, initial costs are high but running costs are low. The higher a tide the more energy provided but when it is low less energy is provided. They spoil the view .
Bio - fuels
It is created from plant products or animal dung. They are burnt to produce electricity like fossil fuels. They are carbon- neutral because the carbon that the living organism takes in from the atmosphere as carbon dioxide can balance the amount that is released when biofuel is burnt. They are reliable but take areas have been cleared to grow bio-fuels and many people are worried there will not be enough crops to eat.
Non-renewable energy resources
Non-renewable energy resources are fossil fuels and nucleaur fuel which are natural resources that form underground over millions of years like plants and dead animals .They are burnt to provide energy and will one day run out. They damage the environment but provide a lot of energy
Coal
Oil
Gas
Power station
In fossil fuel power stations, the burning fuel heats water in a boiler. This produces steam. The steam drives a turbine that turns an electricity generator.
Environment problems
Fossil fuels release carbon dioxide when burned. This adds to the greenhouseeffect and contributes to global warming. It also released sulfur dioxide which causes acid rain which can be harmful to trees and soils Acid rain can be reduced by taking out the sulfur before the fuel is burned or cleaning up the emissions. Oil spillages cause serious environmental problems which affect animals
Nuclear power
Nuclear fuel takes energy from atoms. The fuel in nuclear power stations are uranium or plutonium. The nucleus of these atoms are unstable and split into two. Energy is transferred from ths nucleus when this happens. Nuclear power is clean but the nuclear waste is dangerous and difficult to dispose of.