1. KS4 Physics
Energy Resources

2. Energy Resources Types of energy resources Non-renewable fuels
Contents
Energy Resources
Types of energy resources
Non-renewable fuels
Electricity from fuels
Comparing fuels
Summary activities

3. Sources of energy
What are the sources for most of the energy on Earth?
1. The vast majority of the energy resources on Earth can trace their energy back to the Sun.
2. The Moon is another source of energy.
3. Radioactive elements made in supernova explosions are another source of energy.

4. Types of energy resource
There are two types of energy resource:
Renewable
Non-renewable
Renewable energy resources will never run out (at least not for a very long time), or can be regenerated.
Examples: w___ and S__.
Non-renewable energy resources will eventually run out – once used they can not be used again.
Examples: c___ and o_.
Acknowledgement
© Energy Northwest/DOE/NREL
Turbine installation at the Nine Canyon Wind Project; largest wind farm to be built in Washington State
© Warren Gretz/NOE/NREL
Cherokee Station coal-powered plant, Denver, Colorado
ind un
oal il

5. Energy resources

6. Energy Resources Types of energy resources Non-renewable fuels
Contents
Energy Resources
Types of energy resources
Non-renewable fuels
Electricity from fuels
Comparing fuels
Summary activities

7. A fuel is a store of (chemical) energy.
Fossil fuels
What is a fuel?
A fuel is a store of (chemical) energy.
What is a fossil fuel?
A fossil fuel is a fuel formed from the remains of animals and plants over millions of years.
Name three fossil fuels:
1. ___________
2. ___________
3. ___________
Coal
Oil
Natural gas

8. How coal formed

9. How coal formed
Millions of years ago trees died and fell to the bottom of swamps.
Over time they became covered by mud and rock.
…the trees became fossilized, forming coal.
Over millions of years, due to high temperatures and pressure…

10. How oil and natural gas formed

11. How oil and natural gas formed
Millions of years ago plankton died and fell to the bottom of seas and oceans.
Over time they became covered by mud and rock.
…the plankton became oil and natural gas.
Over millions of years, due to high temperatures and pressure…

12. Nuclear fuels What fuels are used in nuclear power stations?
Uranium and plutonium
What process releases the nuclear energy?
Nuclear fission
What are the main advantages of nuclear power?
© British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL)
Aerial view of Berkeley power station
A large amount of energy for a small amount of fuel, no acid rain, no greenhouse effect, cheap to run once built.

13. Energy Resources Types of energy resources Non-renewable fuels
Contents
Energy Resources
Types of energy resources
Non-renewable fuels
Electricity from fuels
Comparing fuels
Summary activities

14. Fossil fuel power stations
Fossil fuel power stations convert c______ energy into e______ energy.
hemical
lectrical
Oil and coal fired power stations work in a very similar way. The fuel is burnt and the heat boils water to make high pressure superheated steam, which is used to turn a turbine.
Natural gas fired power stations do not use steam. The natural gas is burnt, which produces hot gases that turn the turbine directly.

15. Energy changes in a power station

16. Nuclear power stations
Nuclear power stations convert n_____ energy into e______ energy.
uclear
lectrical
In a nuclear power station the fuel is not burnt; instead it undergoes a fission reaction in the nuclear reactor, which releases heat.
Like in a coal fired power station the heat is used to make high pressure steam.
What are the energy transfers in a nuclear power station?
Reactor
Turbine
Generator
nuclear
heat
kinetic
electrical

17. Start-up times
Power stations cannot just be turned on at the flick of a switch. They need to be started up – this process can take days!
The graph below shows the typical start-up times for different types of power station

18. Processes in a power station

19. Energy Resources Types of energy resources Non-renewable fuels
Contents
Energy Resources
Types of energy resources
Non-renewable fuels
Electricity from fuels
Comparing fuels
Summary activities

20. Burning fossil fuels heat energy burn in oxygen ash carbon dioxide
sulfur dioxide
Fossil fuels are cheap and the heat energy is useful, however:
ash is a waste product which needs to be disposed.
carbon dioxide causes the greenhouse effect.
sulfur dioxide causes acid rain.

21. The greenhouse effect

22. Global warming
C_____ d_____ is a greenhouse gas – it lets the Sun’s heat energy into the Earth’s a_________ but it will not let it escape.
arbon
ioxide
tmosphere
This results in the Earth getting w_____. This effect is called the g e G w results in the icecaps melting, which could lead to flooding and changing weather patterns.
armer
reenhouse
ffect
lobal
arming

23. Carbon dioxide from fuels
Some fossil fuels release less carbon dioxide when burnt than others.
The graph below shows the relative amounts of carbon dioxide released per unit of electricity produced:

24. corrodes buildings and statues
Acid rain
Burning fossil fuels containing sulfur causes sulfur dioxide to be formed. This gas is released by power stations and mixes with water in the atmosphere to form acid rain.
sulfur in coal
sulfur dioxide
acid rain
combustion
mixed with water
What does acid rain do to the environment?
kills trees
corrodes buildings and statues
kills water life
acidifies soil

25. Reducing acid rain
Acid rain is mostly caused by sulfur dioxide (which forms sulfuric acid), but carbon dioxide also contributes (by forming carbonic acid).
How can acid rain be reduced?
Burn fewer fossil fuels – generate electricity in other ways.
Remove sulfur from oil and natural gas before it is burnt.
Scrub waste gases to remove sulfur dioxide.
Use expensive coal that contains little sulfur.

26. Pros and cons of fossil fuels
Although there are problems burning fossil fuels in power stations there are also advantages:
Advantages
Disadvantages
readily available
non-renewable
easily transported
acid rain
low fuel cost
greenhouse effect
low building costs
inefficient
short start-up times

27. Pros and cons of nuclear power
Although there are problems in the use of nuclear power, there are also advantages:
Advantages
Disadvantages
Cheap to run
Expensive to build
Conserves fossil fuels
Expensive to decommission
No sulfur dioxide emissions
Radioactive waste
No carbon dioxide emissions
Links with cancer
Safe under normal conditions
Non-renewable
Little fuel used means less transport needed
Risk of disaster

28. Fuel reserves Fuel Time until reserves run out (years) natural gas oil
coal
nuclear
25-30
about 75
about 300
thousands
Even though nuclear fuel will last thousands of year it will still run out eventually.
natural gas
oil
coal
nuclear

29. Energy Resources Types of energy resources Non-renewable fuels
Contents
Energy Resources
Types of energy resources
Non-renewable fuels
Electricity from fuels
Comparing fuels
Summary activities

30. non-renewable – An energy source that cannot be used again.
Glossary
acid rain – Rainwater that is more acidic than normal because acidic gases have dissolved in it.
fossil fuel – A fuel made from the remains of decayed plants or animals.
generator – A device that transforms kinetic energy into electrical energy.
global warming – The increased greenhouse effect that some scientists think is causing climate change.
greenhouse effect – The warming of the Earth due to the trapping of heat by certain gases in the atmosphere.
non-renewable – An energy source that cannot be used again.
renewable – An energy source that can be regenerated.
turbine – A device that turns heat energy into kinetic
energy.

31. Anagrams

32. Energy resources

33. Multiple-choice quiz