Energy Sources

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Fossil Fuels
Nuclear Power
Solar Power
Wind Power
Tidal Power
Hydro-electric Power
Pumped Storage Reservoirs
Wave Power
Geothermal Power
Biomass

Energy Resources

Introduction:

It is very easy to forget how our daily lives are governed by the availability of energy. Can you think of ten ways that energy has an impact on your daily life? When your alarm goes off in the morning what has happened? What is behind that plug in the wall? By the time that this project is completed you will have gained an appreciation for how energy is produced, is used, and of the economic and environmental impact of specific energy sources. You will have made some judgments about the continued use of the resource that you have studied.

Task:

Your task is to argue for or against the continued or future use of a particular energy resource based on your research findings. Your task will consist of several parts: research, a creative and informative class presentation (PowerPoint or Poster), a persuasive writing piece where you will be trying to persuade members of the community to adopt this alternative energy source. You should defend your choice using information learned in your research.

Choose an energy source from the following list:

  1. Coal
  2. Oil
  3. Natural Gas
  4. Hydro Electric Dam
  5. Windmill
  6. Solar
  7. Biomass
  8. Nuclear
  9. Hydrogen Fuel Cell
  10. Tidal-generated Hydro
  11. Geothermal

Focus your research on answering the following questions:

  1. How is your energy source extracted, processed, refined?
  2. How is your energy source transported to the user?
  3. How does the consumer use the energy source? How does the energy source generate useful work?
  4. How exactly does the energy work?
  5. What is the environmental impact of the above?
  6. Describe a known disaster or cautionary tale that relates to your energy source.

*This could be an ecological disaster, (an oil spill), or an economic one, (a project where costs outweigh benefits), or a health disaster (nuclear meltdown).

  1. Would you recommend the continued use of your resource? Support you conclusion with evidence from your research.

How it works / Advantages / Disadvantages / Renewable?
Fossil Fuels
Nuclear Power
Solar Power / 1.
2.
3.
Wind Power
Tidal Power
Hydro-electric Power
Pumped Storage Reservoirs
Wave Power
Geothermal Power
Biomass

Energy Quiz

  1. Name 2 fossil fuels

1. ______2. ______

  1. Name a non-renewable energy resource that is not a fossil fuel

______

  1. Describe how a gas-fired power station works

______

  1. Name two advantages of generating electricity using nuclear power

1. ______

2. ______

  1. Which uranium isotope is only 0.7% of natural uranium, and is the “fissile” part? ______
  1. Describe two methods for getting energy from sunlight

1. ______

2. ______

  1. Describe three disadvantages of wind power

1. ______

2. ______

3. ______

  1. What is a Tidal Barrage? Describe where one could be built. Name one advantage and one disadvantage of this method of generating power.

______

  1. Why does New Zealand make more use of hydroelectric power than the UK

______

  1. Why does Switzerland not use tidal barrages

______

  1. What is a Pumped Storage Reservoirs and why do we need them

______

  1. Name the energy resource that involves extracting heat from rocks

______

  1. Name two materials that we can burn in order to get energy form “Biomass”

______