Energy Sources and the Environment

Question 1

Name one similarity and one difference between nuclear and fossil fuel power stations

Answer 1

Similarity - heat water and use steam to turn a turbine attached to a generator

Difference - nuclear power doesn’t burn a fuel to generate heat

Question 2

How is heat produced in nuclear power plants?

Answer 2

With nuclear fission

Question 3

Name the two substances that are used in nuclear fission in power stations

Answer 3

1. Uranium
2. Plutonium

_{(think Back to the Future)}

Question 4

To summarise, where is the difference between nuclear and fossil fuel power stations?

Answer 4

In the boiler

Question 5

Name an advantage of fossil fuel power stations to nuclear ones

Answer 5

Fossil fuel power stations have a shorter start-up time _{(natural gas is the shortest of the fossil fuels)}, while nuclear power stations have the longest of all the power stations

Question 6

Name 4 environmental problems with fossil fuels

Answer 6

1. Release CO₂ - adds to greenhouse effect - contributes to global warming
2. Oil and coal release sulfur dioxide - acid rain - trees, soil, build up in lakes, far-reaching effects on ecosystems…
3. Coal mining makes a mess of the landscape - especially ‘open-cast mining’
4. Oil spillages - birds, mammals, sealife

Question 7

Put the fossil fuels in order of how much CO₂ they release (for the same amount of energy produced)

Answer 7

1. Coal
2. Oil
3. Gas

_{(<strong>COG</strong>)}

_{Useful if comparing the pros/cons of different fossil fuels}

Question 8

How can acid rain be reduced?

(2)

Answer 8

1. By taking out the sulfur before the fuel is burned
2. By cleaning up the emissions

Question 9

Name 3 environmental problems with nuclear power

Answer 9

1. Nuclear waste is very dangerous and difficult to dispose of
2. Overall cost is high because of cost of power plant and final decomissioning
3. Carries the risk of nuclear disaster e.g. Chernobyl disaster 1986

Question 10

Name 2 advantages of nuclear power

Answer 10

1. Fuels for fission are relatively cheap
2. Nuclear power is clean

Question 11

Acid rain had devestating effects in Scandinavia, even though the pollution was created in the UK.

Why?

Answer 11

Because the sulfur dioxide travelled in the atomosphere

Question 12

What effects of acid rain were seen in the 1960s/70s?

Answer 12

Acid rain built up in lakes and rivers, wiping out some species of wildlife and destroying ecosystems

Question 13

Name 2 advantages of biofuels

Answer 13

1. Relatively quick source of energy
2. Carbon neutral (if produced at same speeds burnt)

Question 14

Name 4 disadvantages of biofuels

Answer 14

1. Large areas of forest cleared to grow biofuels - lots of species losing their natural habitats
2. Decay and burning of this vegitation also increases CO₂ and methane emissions
3. Methane emissions from animals
4. Could be growing food on biofuel land - food shortages/ increased prices

Question 15

Why do we use Carbon Capture and Storage (CSS)?

Answer 15

To reduce the amount of CO₂ building up in the atmosphere and reduce the strength of the greenhouse effect

Question 16

How does CCS work?

(3)

Answer 16

1. Collecting the CO₂ from power stations before it is released into the atmosphere
2. Pumped into empty gas fields and oil fields _{(like those under the North Sea)}
3. It can be stored safely without it adding to the greenhouse effect

Question 17

Name 2 new types of CSS that are being developed?

Answer 17

1. Storing CO₂ dissolved in seawater at the bottom of the ocean
2. Capturing CO₂ with algae, which can then be used to produce oil which can be used as a biofuel