Energy Resources – Ms.

Guiking

Section 1: Key Ideas

• A fuel is a substance that provides a form of energy as a result of a chemical change.
• Energy can be converted from one form to another.
• The three major fossil fuels are coal, oil and natural gas. These fuels release more energy when
they are burned than most other substances do.
• Because fossils fuels take hundreds of millions of years to form, they are considered non
renewable resources.

Combustion—the process of burning fuel. Power plants such as those found in Piti burn fossil fuels
to heat the water to turn the turbine which generates the power.

• Fossil fuels—fuels created by the remains of organisms that died millions of years ago.
• Three major forms of fossil fuels: Coal, Oil and Natural Gas
• Hydrocarbons---energy rich compounds made up of hydrogen and carbon. Fossil fuels are
hydrocarbons.
• Oil and other fossil fuels can be difficult to find. Sound waves can be used to probe the rock
for possible deposits of fossil fuels. Even when deposits are found, the amounts may not be
large enough for harvesting
• Petroleum---another name for crude oil (such as gasoline, kerosene and plastic)
• Petrochemicals are the materials that can be made by refining crude oil.
• Reserves---the known deposits of fossil fuels
• Refinery- where oil is processed to make gasoline and other products
• Natural Gas is the third major fossil fuel source. It is a mixture of methane and other gases,
which are flammable. Natural gas is usually formed during the same process that produces
coal and oil. The main advantage of natural gas is that it produces few by-products when
burned for fuel.
• Earth’s Natural Resources:
• Mineral Resources, Energy Resources, Living Resources, air, water, sunlight, soil

Section 2: Key Ideas

• Solar Energy is plentiful and renewable, and does not cause pollution. However, a backup
energy source is needed.
• Because the sun causes winds and drives the water cycle, wind power and water power are
considered indirect forms of solar energy.
• Biomass fuels, geothermal energy, and hydrogen power are other renewable energy sources
that are currently in limited use.

Solar energy is radiant light and heat from the Sun. The energy is harnessed using a range of ever-
evolving technologies such as solar heating, photovoltaics, solar thermal energy, solar architecture
and artificial photosynthesis.
• Solar Plants are basically giant mirrors that gather up sunlight and focuses that light into
tanks of water. The water will turn to steam which turns the turbines that generate electrical
energy.
• Solar Cells directly convert solar energy into electrical energy. This energy must be stored in a
battery or used immediately. That is why they are also known as solar batteries. Notice how
they look almost exactly like the solar plant.
• Passive Solar System converts solar energy into thermal energy without using devices such as
pumps or fans
• Active Solar System------converts solar energy into other forms of energy by using devices
such as fans and pumps
 • Biomass fuels---fuels created from organic materials such as cooking oil which is turned into
biodiesel. There is a biodiesel farm in the Anigua area.
• Gasohol---a mixture of fossil fuel and ethanol alcohol created from sugar cane or corn syrup
• In GUAM, major rock and mineral resources include: coal for energy, gravel and crushed
stone for road construction, and limestone for making concrete.
• Wind Farm---the wind turns the turbines which generate electrical energy. It must turn at a
certain speed to generate electricity and there is a practical limit to how fast the turbine can be
spun.
• Hydroelectric Power-----power created by the motion of water. The Hoover Dam is one of the
largest and most famous hydroelectric power plants.
• Geothermal energy------energy given off by the earth.
• Geothermal Generator is how geothermal energy is gathered.
• Hydrogen power is an alternative fuel source that is being considered because it creates
only water when burned. The problem is that the current production method of hydrogen gas
uses more energy that gained by burning the hydrogen gas.
Ore Mineral:
• The metallic element or valuable mineral part of the rock is known as the Ore Mineral
• The remaining part of the rock is called the Gangue
Nuclear Power:
• Nuclear power: energy is created by atomic fission. It produces very little air pollution,
but it does produce toxic waste that takes millions of years to decompose.
• It uses the radioactive mineral Uranium, which is nonrenewable.

Section 3: Key Ideas - To avoid an energy shortage in the future, people must find new sources of
energy and conserve the fuels that are available now.
• Insulation keeps a building from losing heat to, or gaining heat from, the outside.
• Ways to conserve energy use in transportation include making more efficient vehicles,
carpooling and using public transit.

Renewable Resources:
• Renewable Resources can be replaced by nature at a rate close to the rate at which they
are used.
• Have less of an impact on the environment and promote sustainability (the ability for future
generations to have the same resources that we do)
• Examples of renewable resources:
Vegetation (Crops & Forests), sunlight, air, soil, geothermal, water, ice
Non-Renewable Resources:
• Resources that exist in a fixed amount
• Nonrenewable are renewed very slowly or not at all.
• Examples:
• Coal, oil, natural gas, petroleum, sand, stone, gravel, salt, talc, graphite, Sulphur, Gypsum,
Uranium, Phosphate Rock, Potash, Nitrates, and other minerals
When we extract and use resources, Earth’s environment gets affected by:
• Can lead to pollution of land, water, and air
• May contribute to global warming
• Destruction of landscape may occur

• Energy conservation---the practice of reducing energy use.

• Insulation—materials that can reduce or stop the flow of energy.
• Efficiency----it is the ratio of energy to work. The closer to 1 the less energy is lost while
doing work. It is also how effective energy transmission is, most transmission methods “lose”
energy along the way due to resistance and the fact that the energy may become light, heat and
sound.