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AP Environmental Science (Energy) Flashcards

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6616682877Chapter 120
6616682878NonrenewableOnce they're gone, there's no more1
6616682879Fossil fuelsDerived from biological material that became fossilized millions of years ago. (Coal, Oil, Natural gas)2
6616682880Nuclear FuelsDerived from radioactive materials that give off energy3
6616682881Commercial energy sourcesThose that are bought and sold, (coal, oil, wood, etc)4
6616682882Subsistence energy sourcesThose gathered by individuals for their own immediate needs. More used in developing countries.5
6616682883Energy CarrierSomething that can move and deliver energy into a convenient, usable form to end users.6
6616682884TurbineLarge device that will turn to spin a shaft of a generator which produces electricity.7
6616682885Electrical GridConnects power plants together and links them with end users of electricity.8
6616682886Combined CycleNatural gas-fired power plant. 2 turbines and generators. Natural gas is burned to spin a turbine and the waste heat will boil water which will turn another turbine.9
6616682887CapacityMaximum Electrical output of a plant10
6616682888Capacity FactorFraction of time a plant is operating.11
6616682889CogenerationCombined heat and power. Use of fuel to generate electricity and heat.12
6616682890CoalSolid fuel formed by remains of plants that were preserved at least 280 million years ago.13
6616682891PetroleumWidely used fossil fuel. Mixture of hydrocarbons, water and sulfur that occurs in underground deposits.14
6616682892Crude OilLiquid petroleum that is removed from the ground. Oil=crude oil=petroleum15
6616682893Oil SandsSlow flowing viscous deposits of bitumen mixed with sand, water and clay.16
6616682894Bitumen(Tar/Pitch) Degraded type of petroleum that forms when a petroleum deposit is not capped with nonporous rock.17
6616682895CTLCoal to liquid. Process to make solid coal a liquid fuel18
6616682896Energy IntensityTotal energy is increasing, but energy per person is staying constant.19
6616682897Hubbert Curve (Dealing with Oil)20
6616682898Peak OilMaximum amount of oil that can be extracted before it begins to decline.21
6616682899FissionNuclear reaction in which a neutron strikes a relatively large atomic nucleus which then splits into 2 or more parts.22
6616682900Fuel RodsContainment structure enclosing the nuclear fuel which is contained in a cylindrical tube.23
6616682901Control RodsCylindrical devices that can be inserted between the fuel rods to absorb excess neutrons. thus slowing and stopping the fission reaction.24
6616682902Radioactive WasteWaste after the nuclear fuel is used up and can't produce heat, but still emits radioactivity.25
6616682903Becquerel (Bq)Measures the rate at which a sample of radioactive material decays.26
6616682904CurieAnother unit of measure for radiation. 37 billion decays per second.27
6616682905Nuclear FusionReaction that powers the Sun and other stars. Lighter nuclei are forced together to produce heavier nuclei. Lots of heat is generated.28
6616682906Chapter 1329
6616682907NonrenewableOnce gone, no more. Oil Coal Nuclear30
6616682908Potentially RenewableAs long as we do not consume them more quickly than can be replenished. Wood Biofuel31
6616682909NondepletableSolar, Wind, Hydro etc. Energy for all time.32
6616682910RenewablePotentially Renewable and Nondepletable33
6616682911Energy ConservationFinding ways to use less energy34
6616682912Tiered Rate SystemCustomers pay a low rate for the first increment of electricity they use and pay higher rates as their use goes up.35
6616682913Peak DemandGreatest quantity of energy used at any one time.36
6616682914Passive Solar DesignTechnique that takes advantage of solar radiation to maintain a comfortable temperature in a building.37
6616682915Thermal InertiaAbility of a material to retain heat or cold. Stay hot when heated or cold when cooled.38
6616682916BiofuelsBiomass can be processed or refined into liquid fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel.39
6616682917Modern CarbonCarbon in biomass40
6616682918Fossil CarbonCarbon in fossil fuels.41
6616682919Carbon NeutralAn activity that does not change atmospheric CO2 concentrations42
6616682920Net RemovalRemoving more timber than is replaced by growth. Unsustainable practice -> Deforestation.43
6616682921EthanolAlcohol. Made by converting starches and sugars from plant material into alcohol and CO2.44
6616682922Flex-Fuel VehiclesCan run on either gas or E-85 (85% ethanol, 15% gas) fuel.45
6616682923HydroelectricityElectricity generated by the kinetic energy of moving water. 2nd most common form of renewable energy.46
6616682924Run-of-the-riverHydroelectricity generation, water behind a low dam and runs through a channel before returning to the river.47
6616682925Water ImpoundmentStoring water in a reservoir behind a dam. Allows for on demand electricity generation.48
6616682926Tidal EnergyComes from the movement of water. This is driven by the gravitational pull of the moon.49
6616682927Active Solar EnergyTechnologies capture the energy of sunlight with the use of technologies. Includes, Small scale solar water heating systems, photovoltaic solar cells etc.50
6616682928Photovoltaic Solar CellsCapture energy from the sun as light, not heat, and convert it directly to electricity.51
6616682929Geothermal EnergyHeat that comes from the natural radioactive decay of elements deep within the earth.52
6616682930Ground Source Heat PumpsTake advantage of the high thermal inertia of the ground.53
6616682931Wind EnergyWidely used in some countries and making a comeback in others.54
6616682932Wind TurbineConverts kinetic energy of moving air into electricity.55
6616682933Fuel CellOperates like a battery. This reaction happens in a closed container to which no additional elements are added.56
6616682934ElectrolysisElectric current is applied to water to split it into hydrogen and oxygen.57
6616682935Smart gridEfficient, Self-Regulating electricity distribution network that accepts any source of electricity and distributes it automatically to end users.58

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