P1.4- generating electricity

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How is steam produced in a power station?
Burning fuel heats water in a boiler.
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What are coal, oil and gas types of?
Fossil fuels
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Give an advantage of gas-fired power stations.
They can be switched on very quickly.
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What kind of power station can biofuels be burned in?
Small-scale, gas-fired power stations
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Name the gas that can be obtained from manure, decaying rubbish and sewerage works.
Methane gas
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Name two advantages of biofuels, compared to fossil fuels.
1) Biofuels are renewable. 2) Using biofuels is a carbon neutral process.
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Name the particles that are found in the atomic nucleus.
Protons and neutrons
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What is the role of uranium in a nuclear power station?
Uranium is the fuel.
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What happens when the nucleus of a uranium atom splits in two?
It releases energy.
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What is the name of this process?
Nuclear fission
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Why does the core of a nuclear power station get very hot?
Because there are lots of uranium atoms releasing energy in the core
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What is the role of the ‘coolant fluid’ in a nuclear power station?
To transfer energy from the hot core to the heat exchanger. (The energy of the coolant is used to turn water into steam in the heat exchanger.)
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Give a similarity between the way fossil fuel power stations and nuclear power stations generate electricity.
Energy is used to turn water into steam, which drives a turbine that turns electricity generators.
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Why are natural sources of energy known as ‘renewable energy’?
Because they can never be used up
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Why are natural sources carbon-free to run?
Because no fuel is needed to produce electricity
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What does a wind turbine consist of?
An electricity generator on top of a long, narrow tower
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How does the wind turbine use the force of the wind to generate electricity?
The wind drives the turbine’s blades around and this turns a generator at the top of the tower.
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What happens when the wind speed increases?
The wind turbine generates more power.
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How do waves turn a generator in a wave generator?
The waves move the generator up and down, which creates a rocking motion in the generator.
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How is the electricity generated transferred to the shore?
By a cable from the generator to the shore
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Give two disadvantages of wave power.
1) It can spoil areas of coastline. 2) It can affect the habitats of marine life and birds.
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Why are hydroelectric power stations usually built on hills?
Because they generate electricity using water flowing downhill
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How does a tidal power station work?
By trapping each high tide and using it to turn generators
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What does tidal power have in common with wind power?
They both make use of turbines to drive a generator.
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Why is the Severn estuary a promising site for a tidal power station?
Because it has a very high tide
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How is energy transferred to you from the Sun?
By solar radiation
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How do geothermal power stations convert geothermal energy into electricity?
They pump water down to the hot rocks, which turns the water to steam. The steam is then used to drive turbines in the power station.
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How can ‘ground heat’ be used to heat a building?
Water is pumped underground in pipes and heated. It is then pumped round the building, which heats it.
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Why does national demand for electricity increase suddenly when a popular football game on TV ends?
Because lots of people put the kettle on
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About how long could it take to use up the Earth’s oil and gas reserves?
50 years
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How could carbon dioxide emissions be prevented from entering the Earth’s atmosphere?
Carbon capture and storage
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Give two disadvantages of nuclear power.
1) Nuclear waste has to be stored for centuries. 2) A nuclear reactor explosion could affect the area for many years.
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Why are wind turbines often unpopular with people living nearby?
Some people don’t like the way they look, while others don’t like the way they sound.
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What disadvantage do tidal barrages and hydroelectric schemes have in common?
They can affect plant and animal life.
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What is the National Grid?
A network of cables and transformers which distribute electricity from power stations to our homes
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Why does the National Grid transmit electricity at a very high voltage?
Because a high voltage reduces power loss, which makes the National Grid more efficient
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What is the role of tall electricity pylons?
They carry the high-voltage cables of the National Grid.
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What are step-up transformers used for?
Increase the voltage of electricity leaving the power station to the National Grid voltage
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What are step-down transformers used for?
Decrease the voltage at local substations for use in homes and offices
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Give three reasons why electricity cables aren’t buried underground.
1) It would be much more expensive than building pylons. 2) It would be difficult to bury cables under rivers and canals. 3) It would be more difficult to repair cables.
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What type of power stations have the longest start-up time?
Nuclear power stations
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What makes renewable energy sources unreliable?
The amount of energy they can generate can change, depending on the conditions.
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What conditions could decrease the effectiveness of wind power
Weak wind
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What conditions could decrease the effectiveness of solar power
Night-time or variable sunlight during the day
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What conditions could decrease the effectiveness of hydroelectric power
Reservoirs running dry
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What conditions could decrease the effectiveness of wave power
Weak waves on very calm days
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What three types of power station are used to meet base load demand?
Coal, oil and nuclear
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How can we cope with varying demand for electricity?
By generating extra electricity using gas-fired power stations and pumped storage schemes
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How can we make use of renewable energy sources when energy demand is low?
We can use them to store energy in pumped storage schemes.
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

What are coal, oil and gas types of?

Back

Fossil fuels

Card 3

Front

Give an advantage of gas-fired power stations.

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What kind of power station can biofuels be burned in?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Name the gas that can be obtained from manure, decaying rubbish and sewerage works.

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
View more cards

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