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Science
Quarter 3 - Module 3:
Week 3
Energy from Volcanoes
for Human Use (Part I)

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 Lesson Geothermal Energy from
Volcanoes
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Hello there our young scientist! Welcome to the third module of this
quarter. Before moving forward, please be guided with what’s waiting for you
ahead!

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

Learning Competency:
Illustrate how energy from volcanoes may be tapped for human use
(S9ES-IIIc-d-29).

In the previous modules of this quarter, you learned that our country has several
volcanoes that show activities from time to time. These volcanoes have different types
in terms of shape, activity and eruption style. You also learned that volcanic activities
can be both harmful and beneficial.
In this module, you will have a deeper learning on the benefits of having active
volcanoes in a particular place such as the generation of electricity through geothermal
energy.
Before you start, answer the following pre-assessment first.

WHAT I KNOW
Direction: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write your answer on a separate
sheet of paper.
1. What type of energy is produced when heat trapped inside the earth’s surface
is utilized?
A. geothermal energy C. solar energy
B. hydropower energy D. wind energy
2. Hot molten rock is also known as _____________
A. igneous rock C. magma
B. lava D. volcano

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3. The following are renewable energy resources EXCEPT
A. biomass energy C. geothermal energy
B. coal energy D. tidal energy
4. What ancient civilization used hot springs to heat their floors?
A. Egyptians C. Romans
B. Greeks D. Sumerians
5. What country is the largest producer of geothermal energy?
A. Australia C. Philippines
B. Japan D. United States
6. What natural disaster could be potential results of establishing geothermal
power plants?
A. earthquakes C. tornadoes
B. forest fires D. typhoons
7. Geothermal energy is a good source of energy because it is _____________
A. atomic C. free
B. clean D. renewable
8. Which of the following does not belong to the facilities needed in a geothermal
power plant?
A. cooling tower C. solar panel
B. generator D. turbine
9. What does geothermal energy use to spin the turbine?
A. steam C. water
B. sunlight D. wind
10. Which of the following is/are visible signs that a large amount of heat is lying
in the earth’s interior?
A. geysers C. volcanoes
B. hot springs D. all of the above

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For questions nos. 11-15, arrange the events that take place in the
generation of electricity in geothermal power plants. Write the letters A to
E on the space provided.
_____11. The steam cools off in a cooling tower and condenses back to
water.
_____12. Hot water is pumped from deep underground through a well under
high pressure.
_____13. The water is pumped back into the earth to begin the process again.
_____14. The steam spins a turbine, which is connected to a generator that
produces electricity.
_____15. When the water reaches the surface, the pressure is dropped,
which causes the water to turn into steam.

WHAT’S IN

Unlock the following terms by filling in the missing letters.

PICTURE CLUE ANSWER
1.
A land formation which
shoots out water and
steam. It erupts when G__S_R
pressure builds up,
often at regular
interval.
2.
A body of water with
temperature _O_ S__IN_
significantly higher
than the temperature of
the surrounding region.

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Guide Questions:
1. Where are these land and water formation usually found?
______________________________________________________________
2. What do they indicate?
______________________________________________________________

The land and water formation mentioned above are visible signs that the earth’s
interior is really hot.
In what ways do human beings make use of this trapped heat? Let’s find out as
we move along in this module.

WHAT’S NEW
The earth is believed to be extremely hot from within. This heat from the
earth’s interior is a source of energy called geothermal energy. The heat of the earth
warms up water which is trapped in rock formations beneath its surface.

WHAT IS IT
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
Geothermal energy is a type of renewable energy derived from the heat of the
earth’s interior. It is one of the oldest types of power used by humans.
Geothermal energy is considered as a renewable resource since it can
replenish itself at the rate it is used unlike the nonrenewable resources which have a
limited supply.
In ancient times, baths heated by hot springs around volcanoes were used by
Romans and examples of geothermal space heating date as far back as the Roman
City of Pompeii during the 1st century BCE (before common era). Others used these
hot springs for cooking food and providing space heating for buildings.
In 1904, Italian scientist Piero Ginori Conti successfully used geothermal
energy to power a small generator capable of lighting several light bulbs. This was the
foundation for much larger experiments, and in 1913, Larderello (located in Pisa, Italy)
became the site of the world’s first commercial power plant.
As of 2018, the United States is the leading producer of geothermal energy
across the world, generating 16.7 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of geothermal energy
throughout the year.

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How is geothermal energy generated?
Geothermal energy is generated in two ways: geothermal power plants and
geothermal heat pumps. They differ in the depth of heat source to produce energy.
In geothermal power plants, the heat from deep inside the earth is used to
produce steam to generate electricity compared with geothermal heat pumps that use
heat coming from close to the earth’s surface to heat water or provide heat for
buildings.
Power plants are built in an area where it is particularly hot just below the
surface such as near a group of geysers, hot springs or volcanic activity.
The following are steps followed to generate electricity in a geothermal power
plant:
1. Wells drilled deep into the earth to pump steam or hot water to the surface.
2. When water reaches the surface, the drop in pressure causes the water to turn
into steam.
3. The steam spins a turbine, which is connected to a generator that produces
electricity.
4. Cooling tower cools the steam which condenses back to water.
5. The cooled water is pumped back into the earth to begin the process again

Figure 1. Geothermal Power Plant

Source:https://archive.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/solutions/technologies/geotherma
l.html

WHAT’S MORE
Activity 1: Tapping the Heat
Objective: Trace the events that take place in the generation of electricity in a
geothermal power plant.

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Procedure:
1. Complete the chart below to show that the heat from the earth is tapped as a
source of electricity in a power plant.

heat from
inside the
earth

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

Activity 2: Tell Me More
Objective: Compare and contrast the following terms which are related to geothermal
energy.

A.
Renewable Nonrenewable
VS
Energy Energy

B.
Geothermal VS Geothermal
Heat Pump Power Plant

C.
VS
Turbine Generator

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 WHAT I CAN DO
Read the article below about the advantages and disadvantages of tapping
geothermal energy. Make a T-chart graphic organizer to summarize the important
concepts.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Geothermal Energy

Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/geothermal-
energy

There are many advantages of geothermal energy. It can be

extracted without burning a fossil fuel such as coal, gas, or oil.
Geothermal fields produce only about one-sixth of the carbon
dioxide that a relatively clean natural-gas-fueled power plant
produces. Binary plants release essentially no emissions. Unlike
solar and wind energy, geothermal energy is always available, 365
days a year. It’s also relatively inexpensive; savings from direct use
can be as much as 80 percent over fossil fuels.

But it has some environmental problems. The main concern

is the release of hydrogen sulfide, a gas that smells like rotten egg
at low concentrations. Another concern is the disposal of some
geothermal fluids, which may contain low levels of toxic materials.
Although geothermal sites are capable of providing heat for many
decades, eventually specific locations may cool down.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
Advantages Disadvantages

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 ASSESSMENT
Write the letter of the correct answer on a separate piece of paper.
1. The word “geothermal” means _______________
A. Geo: fossil ; thermal: fuel C. Geo: earth ; thermal: heat
B. Geo: plants ; thermal: oil D. Geo: oil ; thermal: drill
2. Wind, geothermal and solar energy are all what type of energy resources?
A. cheap C. potential
B. nonrenewable D. renewable
3. Which of the following refers to a spring that shoots jets of hot water into the
air?
A. geyser C. mine hole
B. hot spring D. mud point
4. What is the main disadvantage of building geothermal energy plants?
A. cost C. nuclear fallout
B. global warming D. pollution
5. What does a generator do in a geothermal power plant?
A. it drills the ground
B. it cools off the hot water
C. it turns the mechanical energy into electrical energy
D. it turns the electrical energy into mechanical energy
6. Heat from the earth is obtained by all EXCEPT
A. Gathering lava from volcanoes to boil water.
B. Drilling wells to bring hot water to the surface.
C. Steam from high pressure underground turns turbines.
D. Pump hot spring water into homes and establishments.

7. What does it mean when we say that geothermal energy is sustainable? It

means that it ____________
A. will not be used up
B. has a limited supply
C. generates greenhouse gases
D. can be used anywhere on earth

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 8. What happens to the warm water in a geothermal power plant after being
used?
A. Pump it back into the reservoir.
B. Put into a manmade lake nearby.
C. Let it be absorbed back into the ground.
D. Send into the nearest water purifying facility.
9. What potential environmental issue can occur when building a geothermal
power plant?
A. The burning of fossil fuels.
B. Water pollution from the chemical used.
C. Toxic gases can be released when drilling large rocks beneath the
earth.
D. all of the above
10. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Geothermal water contains dissolved minerals and salts.
B. Geothermal plants can only operate within a few hours per day.
C. Most geothermal reservoirs contain dissolved gases that smell bad.
D. Drillings for enhancing geothermal systems can cause small
earthquakes.
For nos. 11-15, label the geothermal power plant diagram accordingly. Choose
from the word box below.

steam
11
generator

production well
12
turbine

injection well
13

15
14

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Answer Key:

What’s In
1. GEYSER 2. HOT SPRING
Guide Questions:
1. Geysers and hot springs are usually found around active volcanoes.
2. Their presence only mean that the earth’s interior is hot.

What’s More

ge heat
steam generator changes
heat causes
causes the mechanical
from the
the energy to generato
electrical
inside water to
turbine energy
the earth turn into
r to turn
steam

What I Have Learned

A.

 Renewable Energy- sources of energy that can replenish itself at the rate it is
used
 Nonrenewable Energy- sources of energy that have limited supply

B.

 Geothermal Heat Pump- tap into heat close to the earth’s surface to heat
water or provide heat for buildings
 Geothermal Power Plant- use heat from deep inside the earth to generate
steam to make electricity
C.

 Turbine- a device that harnesses the kinetic energy of fluids such as water,
steam or air
 Generator- a device that converts mechanical energy obtained from an
external source into electrical energy as the output

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References
Books:

□ Department of Education, Bureau of Secondary Education. Project Ease

Integrated Science 1, Module 12: Inside the Earth
□ Department of Education, Bureau of Secondary Education (2013). Science-
Grade 8 Learner’s Module. Vibal Publishing House, Inc.
□ McDougal Litell (2005). Science: Integrated Course 3. Houghton Miffin
Company.
□ Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS)- Department
of Science and Technology (DOST) (2008). School Teachers’ Seminar-
Training on Natural Hazards Awareness and Preparedness: Focus on
Earthquakes and Volcanoes (Training Module).
□ Tarbuck, E.J. et al. (2009). Earth Science 12th ed. Pearson Education Suth Asia
Pte. Ltd.

Internet Sources:
□ https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/features/top-geothermal-power-
producing-countries/
□ http://www.history.alberta.ca/energyheritage/energy/alternative-
energy/geothermal-energy/geothermal-energy-throughout-the-
ages.aspx#:~:text=In%201904%2C%20Italian%20scientist%20Piero,first%20
commercial%20geothermal%20power%20plant.
□ https://www.britannica.com/science/geothermal-energy/History
□ https://archive.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/solutions/technologies/geothermal.
html#:~:text=This%20heat%20is%20called%20geothermal,or%20provide%20
heat%20for%20buildings.
□ https://www.pinterest.ph/syahmuhammad1/geothermal-power-plant

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