Energy and Resources Study Guide
Natural Resources are materials found in nature and are used by living
things.
Energy is the ability to cause change. Most energy on Earth comes
from the sun. The sun provides light energy. The sun drives life
processes on Earth like the water cycle. Wind and Water can also be
used to produce energy.
Renewable energy sources can be replaced or reused in a human
lifetime. Examples include water, sunlight, air, and trees.
Nonrenewable energy sources can’t be replaced in a human lifetime
and will be used up someday. They are formed by both pressure and
heat. Examples include coal, oil, soil, natural gas, old growth forests,
and metal ores.
Fossil Fuels are nonrenewable energy sources. They are made over
millions of years from the dead remains of once living things. They are
removed from the Earth by mining or pumping them up from wells.
Electricity is not naturally occurring as an energy source. It is
produced from nonrenewable resources such as fossil fuels.
Recycling helps to conserve resources. It takes materials that were
used and turning them into something new. Items like plastic, glass,
newspaper, aluminum and cardboard are all recyclable.
A battery that is connected by 2 wires to a light bulb is an example of
a complete circuit. In order for a circuit to work, there must be wires
going to and from an energy source in order to work.
Magnets are naturally occurring or can be made. A magnet has 2 poles
– north and south. They can attract to certain metals or to each other.
Opposite poles attract each other. Poles that are the same repel one
another.