ch 15
since the late 80s, nuclear power's growth has slowed, with an increase of
2.5% per year worldwide
how much of our energy comes from the three main fossil fuels?
80%
Which of the following statements about clean coal technology is true?
Clean coal technologies will reduce pollution associated with burning coal, but will not reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
nuclear energy
the energy that holds together protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom
energy intensity
the energy use per dollar of gross domestic product
Coal has had many uses over the course of history. Most recently, it is used in industrialized societies _______.
to provide electricity
During peak usage, what happens to the cost of electricity?
It almost always increases.
natural gas
a gas consisting primarily of methane and including varying amounts of other volatile hydrocarbons
What is Hubbert's peak?
a prediction, based on rates of extraction and new discovery coupled with demand, of when a country's oil production will reach a maximum and then start to decline.
methane hydrate
a solid consisting of molecules of methane embedded in a crystal lattice of water molecules
directional drilling
allows drillers to bore down vertically and then curve to drill horizontally
carbon capture and storage
capturing carbon dioxide emissions, conventing the gas to a liquid form, and then sequestering (storing) it in the ocean or underground
Many pollutants from coal-fired power plants are properly managed today. Which of the following is currently considered to be the biggest threat to the environment?
carbon dioxide
Which of the following technologies has helped us to reduce the amount of emissions released by vehicles?
catalytic converters
Which of the fossil fuels is most abundant on Earth?
coal
The three fossil fuels that we use today to meet our energy needs are __________.
coal, natural gas, and crude oil
what are the three main fossil fuels?
coal, oil, natural gas
Which of the following methods for conservation allows businesses and home to make use of wasted heat from traditional heating and cooling systems?
cogeneration
energy efficiency
describes the ability to obtain a given amount of output while using less energy input
engery conservation
describes the practice of reducing wasteful or unnecessary energy use
reserves-to-production ratio
dividing the amount of total remaining reserves by the annual rate of production
Julie has decided to become more environmentally friendly, and so she turns off all her lights when they are not in use and unplugs all her electronic devices at night. This is an example of __________.
energy conservation
energy returned on investment
every returned / energy invested
subsurface mining
excavates large tunnels underground
three mile island
experience an accident due to human error and mechanical failure that led to draining of water from the reactor vessel
net energy
expresses the difference between energy returned and engery invested
nuclear reactors
facilities contained within nuclear power plants where thermal energy is used to generate electricity
meltdown
fuel rods melted and began releasing high amounts of radiation
Where is electricity made at a coal-fired power plant?
generator
coal
hard blackish substance formed from woody organic matter compressed into a dense, solid, carbon structre
hydraulic fracturing (fracking)
involves drilling deep into the earth and angling the drill horizontally once the shale formation is reached
control rods
made of a neutron-absorbing substance can be inserted or remove from the reactor to reactor to control the rate of the reaction
oil sands
mixture of moist sand and clay containing 1-20% bitumen, a thick and heavy form of Petroleum
fossil fuels
oil, coal, and natural gas
The process of _____ turns crude oil into the type of gases that can be used for cooking, in cars, and for other human purposes.
refining
oil shale
sedimentary rock filled with organic matter that can be processes into shale oil
refining
separates the hydromolecules in crude oil
All fossil fuels, including coal, are considered an indirect form of ____________ energy.
solar
strip mining
surface coal is primarily extracted
proven recoverable reserve
the amount of a given fossil fuel in a deposit that is technologically and economically feasible to remove under current conditions
Which of the following descriptions of primary extraction is accurate?
Primary extraction may leave as much as two-thirds of the total oil deposit below ground.
peak oil
The point at which half the total known oil supply is used up
mountaintop removal mining
Type of surface mining that uses explosives, massive power shovels, and large machines called draglines to remove the top of a mountain and expose seams of coal underneath a mountain.
crude oil
Unrefined oil
What color smoke coming from a coal-fired power plant would indicate wasted fuel?
black
Fukushima Daiichi
nuclear power plant, the earthquake shut down power and the tsunami flooded its backup generators that powered the control rods and water pumps
1986 Chernobyl
power plant in ukraine caused radioactive debris to enter the atmosphere for 10 days
cogeneration
process in which excess heat produced during the generation of electricity is captured and used to heat nearby workplaces and homes, and to produce other kinds of power
hydraulic fracturing
pumps chemically treated water under high pressure into layers of rock to crack them
clean coal technologies
refer to an array of techniques, equipment, ad approaches that aim to remove chemical contaminants during the generation of electricity from coal
petroleum
refers to oil, but may also refer to oil and natural gas collectively
electricity
using fossil fuels for transportation, manufacturing, heating, cooking
shale gas
water, sand, and chemicals are pumped in, creating fracture in the shale and releasing bubbles