7I - Energy Resources Summary Notes

Energy is the ability to do work. The units of energy are Joules (J). There are different kinds of energy such as heat energy, light energy, sound energy and electrical energy.

A fuel is a substance that releases energy when it burns.

Most of our energy ultimately comes from the Sun. Only geothermal, nuclear and tidal energy do not originate from the Sun.

Fossil fuels Fossil fuels are coal, oil and natural gas. They are non-renewable because we cannot replace them so they will run out. They were formed millions of years ago from dead plants and animals.

Coal is formed from dead plants that lived millions of years ago. The plants were buried in mud. This stopped air reaching the plants so that the plants did not rot away. This formed peat. Over time more layers of mud built up, squashing the peat. Then heat from inside the Earth combined with the pressure of the earth on top of the peat caused the mud to turn to rock and the peat into coal.

Oil and gas are formed from tiny plants and animals that lived in the sea millions of years ago. When the plants and animals died they fell to the bottom of the sea where they were buried. More layers of mud and debris buried the dead animals. Heat and pressure cause the dead plants and animals to turn into oil and gas. The oil and gas became stuck under a layer of caprock, which would not let them through.

Fossil fuels are relatively cheap to obtain but they produce gases, such as carbon dioxide, which are harmful to our environment.

Conserving energy There are many ways to save energy. This has the following benefits: Saves fossil fuels, so they last longer. Saves money spent on fuels. Reduces pollution.

Renewable energy resources. Renewable energy resources can be expensive but they do not produce harmful gases (except biomass) and they will not run out.

CRD 2013

Types of renewable energy: Type of energy Solar Hydroelectric Wind Tidal Description Uses UV radiation from the Sun to generate electricity in solar cells. A dam traps water which is allowed to flow through tunnels to turn turbines which drive generators. Uses wind movements to turn wind turbines which drive generators. A huge dam (called a "barrage") is built across a river estuary. When the tide goes in and out, the water flows through tunnels in the dam. The ebb and flow of the tides can be used to turn a turbine, or it can be used to push air through a pipe, which then turns a turbine. Wave Geothermal Biofuel Uses the motion of the waves to generate electricity. Uses the heat energy stored within the earth. Fuels made from recently dead matter that can be regenerated. Generally used for transportation. Two common types are bioethanol and biodiesel.

Conservation of energy The law of conservation of energy states that: Energy can never be created or destroyed but can be converted from one form to another.

Energy transfer Devices are useful because they convert energy from one form to another, for example: a radio converts electrical energy into sound energy. Sometimes there is more than one energy transfer and this is called an energy chain. For example: chemical electrical light In energy transfers some energy is always lost, often to heat. Total energy input = Useful energy + Wasted energy. A couple of important examples of energy transfer: Photosynthesis: The transfer of the suns energy into chemical energy in chloroplasts. carbon dioxide + water glucose + oxygen Respiration: The release of energy by cells. glucose + water carbon dioxide + water

How to measure food energy The amount of energy in food can be measured by burning a known quantity of food that heats up a known volume of water. As one calorie (4.2 Joules) is the energy required to raise 1 mL of water by one degree, the amount of energy in the food can be calculated.

CRD 2013