Science 30 – Energy and the Environment (Unit D)
Lesson 2 – Renewable and Non-Renewable Types of Energy
Definitions – Types of Energy
____________________ Energy –heat
____________________ Energy – Motion
_________________________________ Energy – Stored energy from the position in a system.
________________________Energy – Potential and Kinetic Energy (when machines do work – think
of a turbine spinning)
_________________________ Energy – Stored in the bonds of compounds (mostly hydrocarbons)
Remember the 1st law of Thermodynamics - Energy is not created or destroyed only converted.
Non-Renewable Resources (Textbook 1.2 also Lesson 3)
Fossil Fuels – Main source Solar Energy. In fossil fuel reactions the following occurs:
Solar energy  chemical energy (in plants/animals)  thermal energy (fossil fuels are burned)
 mechanical energy (turbines turn)  electrical energy (for use in homes and industry)
Coal
 Society shifted from burning wood as a primary fuel source to burning coal during the
industrial revolution.
 Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock composed mostly of carbon
and ______________________________________. It is the most abundant fossil fuel produced
in the United States. Coal is a nonrenewable energy source because it takes millions of years
to create. The energy in coal comes from the energy stored by plants that lived hundreds of
millions of years ago, when the Earth was partly covered with swampy forests.

Coal is cheap to surface mine and generates about half of the electrical power for North
America. Coal surface mining can have negative impacts on the environmental landscape.
Emissions produced from coal are _________________________________________________.
Research is going into scrubber technology to reduce the amount of pollutants going into
the atmosphere.
Petroleum (Crude Oil)


Today by far, petroleum is the ____________________________________________________
Over millions of years, the remains of animals and plants were covered by layers of sand
and silt. Heat and pressure from these layers helped the remains turn into what we today
call crude oil. The word "petroleum" means "rock oil" or "oil from the earth."

Crude oil is a smelly, yellow-to-black liquid and is usually found in underground areas
called reservoirs. Oil derricks are built on an oil well that will bring a steady flow of oil to
the surface.

The Athabasca Oil Sands are not crude oil, but petroleum stuck in sand. It needs to be
separated into useful ____________________________________________________________
There is an excellent source of energy; however there are a number of drawbacks. Pollutants form
emissions include CO2, CO, SO2, NOx, VOC’s, lead, benzene, and acetaldehyde. In addition to
harmful effects to reclamation of the land, problems can ensue at oil wells.
Natural Gas (Methane)

Formation of natural gas is similar to petroleum, except
natural gas requires more
_______________________________________. It is used to
heat our houses (furnaces), hot water, and the kitchen
stove.

Natural gas produces fewer emissions of sulphur, carbon,
and nitrogen than coal or oil. It still produces
________________________
_______________________________. The footprint from
natural gas is much less, but still impacts the land and
marine habits where drilling occurs.
Nuclear Energy (More on this is Lesson 4)
These changes are called _____________________________________________________________.
Energy created in a nuclear reaction is called nuclear energy, or atomic energy.
Nuclear energy is produced naturally and in man-made operations under human control.

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Naturally: Some nuclear energy is produced naturally. For example, the Sun and other stars
make heat and light by nuclear reactions.
Man-Made: Nuclear energy can be man-made too. Machines called nuclear reactors, parts
of nuclear power plants, provide electricity for many cities. Man-made nuclear reactions also
occur in the explosion of _______________________________________________________.
Nuclear energy is produced in two different ways:
Nuclear ___________________________________: In nuclear fission, the nuclei of atoms are split,
causing energy to be released. The atomic bomb and nuclear reactors work by fission. The element
_____________________________ is the main fuel used to undergo nuclear fission to produce
energy since it has many favourable properties. Uranium nuclei can be easily split by shooting
neutrons at them. Also, once a uranium nucleus is split, multiple neutrons are released which are
used to split other uranium nuclei. This phenomenon is known as a ___________________________
Nuclear _____________________________: In nuclear fusion, the nuclei of atoms are _____________
_________________________________. This happens only under very hot conditions. The Sun, like
all other stars, creates heat and light through nuclear fusion. In the Sun, hydrogen nuclei fuse to
make helium. The hydrogen bomb, humanity's most powerful and destructive weapon, also works
by fusion. The heat required to start the fusion reaction is so great that an atomic bomb is used to
provide it. Hydrogen nuclei fuse to form helium and in the process release huge amounts of
energy thus producing a huge explosion.
Why go Nuclear?


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The Earth has limited supplies of coal and oil. Nuclear power plants could still produce
electricity after coal and oil become scarce.
Nuclear power plants need less fuel than ones which burn fossil fuels. One ton of uranium
produces more energy than is produced by several million tons of coal or several million
barrels of oil.
Coal and oil burning plants pollute the air. Well-operated nuclear power plants _________
_________________________________________________________.
…or not:


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Nuclear explosions produce ___________________________. The nuclear radiation harms the
cells of the body which can make people sick or even kill them. Illness can strike people
years after their exposure to nuclear radiation.
One possible type of reactor disaster is known as a ____________________________. In such
an accident, the fission reaction goes out of control, leading to a nuclear explosion and the
emission of great amounts of radiation.
o In 1979, the cooling system failed at the Three Mile Island nuclear reactor near
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Radiation leaked, forcing tens of thousands of people to
flee. The problem was solved minutes before a total meltdown would have occurred.
Fortunately, there were no deaths.
o In 1986, a much worse disaster struck Russia's Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In this
incident, a large amount of radiation escaped from the reactor. Hundreds of
thousands of people were exposed to the radiation. Several dozen died within a few
days. In the years to come, thousands more may die of cancers induced by the
radiation.
Nuclear reactors also have waste disposal problems. Reactors produce ________________
_____________________ products which emit dangerous radiation. Because they could kill
people who touch them, they cannot be thrown away like ordinary garbage. Currently,
many nuclear wastes are stored in special cooling pools at the nuclear reactors.
Homework
Complete Renewable Resources Worksheet (end of today’s notes)
p.490 #1-6
Renewable Resources (Textbook S 2.1-2.2)
Alternative
Energy
Sources
Geothermal
(p. 530)
Description
(summarize)
Energy
Conversions
(StartFinish)
Key Advantage
Key Disadvantage
 only suitable
for specific
locations on Earth
• usually have to
drill very deep
to reach aquifer
gravitational
potential 
kinetic (water flow)

mechanical energy
(turbine)  electrical
energy
Tidal (p. 532)
Passive Solar
Energy
(p.536)
Active Solar
Energy /
Photovoltaic
Cells
(p.537-538)
Solar energy enters house
through south-facing
windows and hits concrete
floor. Energy is transferred
to thermal energy – trapped
in house. Roof overhangs
and trees can help cool the
home during summer.
Hydroelectric
Power
(p.541-543)
Wind Energy
(p.545-546)
Biomass
(p.547-548)
Hydrogen
Fuel
(p. 551)