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Questions and Answers
What is considered Earth's cleanest fossil fuel?
What is considered Earth's cleanest fossil fuel?
What process transforms kerogen into oil and natural gas?
What process transforms kerogen into oil and natural gas?
Which conditions are necessary for oil and natural gas to accumulate?
Which conditions are necessary for oil and natural gas to accumulate?
What era saw the widespread use of water mills for energy generation?
What era saw the widespread use of water mills for energy generation?
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How does hydroelectric energy primarily get generated?
How does hydroelectric energy primarily get generated?
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What role do turbines play in hydroelectric power generation?
What role do turbines play in hydroelectric power generation?
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What is the initial step in the formation of oil and natural gas?
What is the initial step in the formation of oil and natural gas?
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Who developed the first hydroelectric power scheme?
Who developed the first hydroelectric power scheme?
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What is the primary function of a penstock in a hydropower system?
What is the primary function of a penstock in a hydropower system?
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Which type of hydropower plant utilizes a storage reservoir created by a dam?
Which type of hydropower plant utilizes a storage reservoir created by a dam?
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What is one major environmental drawback of constructing reservoirs for hydropower?
What is one major environmental drawback of constructing reservoirs for hydropower?
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What method might be used to help fish navigate past dams?
What method might be used to help fish navigate past dams?
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How can hydropower systems reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
How can hydropower systems reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
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What is a potential benefit of the reservoirs created by hydropower dams beyond electricity generation?
What is a potential benefit of the reservoirs created by hydropower dams beyond electricity generation?
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Which hydropower facility type is characterized by cycling water back into a reservoir?
Which hydropower facility type is characterized by cycling water back into a reservoir?
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What challenge is faced by fish populations due to the presence of dams?
What challenge is faced by fish populations due to the presence of dams?
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Which of the following describes a characteristic of renewable resources?
Which of the following describes a characteristic of renewable resources?
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What is one of the main characteristics of nonrenewable resources?
What is one of the main characteristics of nonrenewable resources?
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What is a significant advantage of fossil fuels compared to other energy resources?
What is a significant advantage of fossil fuels compared to other energy resources?
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What process leads to the formation of coal?
What process leads to the formation of coal?
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Which component primarily constitutes natural gas?
Which component primarily constitutes natural gas?
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From what materials is petroleum primarily derived?
From what materials is petroleum primarily derived?
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Which of the following is NOT considered a renewable energy resource?
Which of the following is NOT considered a renewable energy resource?
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What is an example of a nonrenewable resource?
What is an example of a nonrenewable resource?
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What is one of the most significant benefits of hydropower?
What is one of the most significant benefits of hydropower?
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Which of the following is not a source of water?
Which of the following is not a source of water?
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Which zone is not fully filled with water in an aquifer?
Which zone is not fully filled with water in an aquifer?
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What characterizes perennial surface water?
What characterizes perennial surface water?
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Which type of water is primarily used for irrigation and farming?
Which type of water is primarily used for irrigation and farming?
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What effect do human activities have on the natural water cycle?
What effect do human activities have on the natural water cycle?
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What is an artesian well?
What is an artesian well?
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Which option is considered one of the world's most expensive commodities?
Which option is considered one of the world's most expensive commodities?
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Study Notes
Classifications
- Renewable resources can be replenished or regenerated in a human timeframe
- Nonrenewable resources cannot be replenished or regenerated in a human timeframe
Energy Resources
- Energy is the capacity to do work
- Energy sources include nuclear, fossil fuels, geothermal, hydro, wind, solar, and biomass
Renewable Resources
- Examples given are geothermal and hydro
- A renewable resource can be replenished or regenerated in a human timeframe
Nonrenewable Resources
- Examples given are nuclear and fossil fuels
- A nonrenewable resource cannot be replenished or regenerated in a human timeframe
Fossil Fuels
- Fossil fuels are the remains of plants and animals that died millions of years ago
- They are the world's primary energy source supporting transportation, electricity, and industries.
- Fossil fuels are abundant and have a lower cost of production compared to other energy resources
- They are considered nonrenewable due to the millions of years required for their formation
- Types of fossil fuels are coal, oil (petroleum), and natural gas
Coal
- Coal is a black, combustible rock made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and varying amounts of sulfur
- Coal formation starts in a swamp near a sedimentary basin
- Natural phenomena cause water levels to rise, vegetation is destroyed
- Plant debris accumulates and is buried under mud and sand
- Sedimentation layers slow decomposition
- Pressure and heat transform plant debris into coal
Petroleum (Oil)
- Petroleum comes from Latin words petra (rock) and oleum (oil)
- It is a naturally occurring, liquid hydrocarbon
- It is found in geological formations beneath the Earth's surface
- Derived from large quantities of algae and plankton
Natural Gas
- Natural gas is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture primarily composed of methane
- Considered Earth's cleanest fossil fuel, is odorless and colorless in its natural state
- Produced from sedimentary rock formations through a process forcing chemicals, water, and sand into a well under high pressure
Oil and Natural Gas Formation
- Dead plants and animals accumulate on land and at sea
- They sink to the sea or lake floor and mix with dirt and microorganisms
- Over tens of millions of years, accumulated organic material decomposes by microorganisms into organic compounds called kerogen
- Rocks rich in kerogen are source rocks
- Heat and pressure transform kerogen into oil and natural gas
- Oil and natural gas migrate and accumulate under specific conditions
- Condition 1: Beneath a dome-shaped, dense cap rock layer
- Condition 2: In a porous reservoir rock where they're trapped
Hydropower
- By the 1700s, water mills were used for pumping, irrigation, and milling
- The Industrial Revolution and its demand for energy drove development of hydroelectric energy production methods
- William George Armstrong developed the first hydroelectric power scheme in 1878, used to power a single lamp
- Electricity and hydraulics played a key role in the development of hydropower
- Hydroelectric energy is created by harnessing the power of moving water, usually by restricting water flow to specific areas
Parts of a Hydropower System
- Dam: Creates a waterfall and stores water for constant supply
- Penstock: Channels water from the reservoir to the turbines
- Powerhouse: Houses the turbines driven by the waterfall and the generator powered by the turbines
Types of Hydropower Plants
- Impoundment Facility: Uses a dam to store water and release it for electricity generation
- Diversion/Run-of-River Facility: Redirects river water through a small dam into pipes towards a penstock and then downhill to the power station
- Pumped Storage: Combines a small storage reservoir with a system to cycle water back into the reservoir after turbine use
Benefits of Hydropower
- Low Operating Costs: Cheap to operate because it doesn't require raw materials
- Less Greenhouse Gas: Emits less greenhouse gas than burning fossil fuels
- Renewable: Meaning it will never run out as long as rivers keep flowing
- Other Uses: Reservoirs created by dams have other uses beyond electricity generation
Drawbacks of Hydropower
- Flooding Land for Reservoirs
- Destroys local wildlife and displaces villages
- Environmental impacts
- Many fish species need to move upstream to lay their eggs, which can be impossible due to dams
- Fish ladders can be partially effective, but sometimes local environmental agencies need to transport fish up and down in trucks
What can be done to reduce greenhouse gas emmissions from HEP?
- Build dams on river systems with fewer nutrients to discourage microbes from decomposing trees
- Build smaller dams in steeper valleys to flood less land
Water Resources
- Physical Attributes of water: Solid, liquid, gas
- Groundwater: Found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand, and rock. Stored in aquifers.
- Aquifer: A body of rock and sediment saturated with water, allowing water movement
- Artesian Well: A free-flowing water well where pressure in the aquifer forces water to the surface without a pump
- Saturated Zone: The zone where all pores and rock fractures are filled with water located below the unsaturated zone.
- Unsaturated Zone: The zone not fully filled with water, lying above the saturated zone
- Surface Water: Found on the Earth's surface in lakes, rivers, and reservoirs
- Perennial: Always present, year-round water sources
- Ephemeral: Temporary water sources, only present during specific conditions like rain
- Man-Made: Artificially created water bodies like reservoirs and canals
- Water is an expensive commodity comparable to gasoline
Important Products from Water Resources
- Domestic water: for drinking, cooking, cleaning
- Industrial water: for manufacturing and production processes
- Agricultural water: for irrigation and farming
- Medical water: for medical procedures and pharmaceuticals
Human Activities and the Water Cycle
- Human activities (settlements, industry, and agricultural development) can disturb the natural water cycle by
- Diverting land use
- Modifying water use/reuse
- Discharging wastes into natural groundwater and surface water pathways
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Description
This quiz explores the classifications of energy resources, distinguishing between renewable and nonrenewable sources. It covers the characteristics, examples, and implications of various energy types, including fossil fuels and renewable alternatives. Test your understanding of these crucial concepts in energy management.
