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AQA GCSE Physics Your notes

National & Global Energy Resources

Contents
Energy Resources
Comparing Energy Resources
Environmental Issues

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Energy Resources
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Energy Resources
Energy resources are large stores of energy that can be used to generate electricity and heat homes
and businesses
Electricity is generated in very similar ways, no matter what energy resource is used
A turbine is turned, which turns a generator, which generates electricity
The element that differs is how the turbine is made to turn
Water can be used to turn turbines in the case of hydroelectric dams, tidal barrages and tidal turbines
Energy in the kinetic store of the flowing water is transferred to the kinetic store of the turbine and
then to the kinetic store of the generator and transferred electrically to the National Grid

A hydroelectric dam transfers energy from the gravitational potential energy store of the water to its
kinetic energy store mechanically to turn a turbine
Fossil fuels can be combusted to heat water, and the steam produced can be used to turn turbines
Energy from the chemical store of the fuel is transferred to the thermal store of the water, which is then
transferred to the kinetic store of the turbine, and then transferred to the kinetic store of the generator
and then transferred electrically to the National Grid

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The energy transfers involved in the production of electricity from fossil fuels
Nuclear fuel can also be used to heat water to produce steam to turn turbines
The energy transfers involved in electricity generation from a nuclear power plant are:
Nuclear store of fuel → thermal store of water → kinetic store of turbine → kinetic store of generator
Geothermal energy is another way to produce the steam that turns the turbines
Water is pumped down to the hot rocks and returns through a fissure as steam

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Cold water is heated by the rocks and returned as hot water or steam which can be used to turn turbines
to generate electricity
Energy Resources Table

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Your notes

Examiner Tips and Tricks

You do not need to know the specific details of how electricity is generated for your exam, but it can
help you to understand the differences between how the energy resources are used.

Renewable Energy Resources

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Some electricity drawn from the National Grid is generated from non-renewable resources, and some
is generated from renewable resources
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A renewable energy resource is defined as
An energy source that is replenished at a faster rate than the rate at which it is being used
As a result of this, a renewable energy resource is one that will not run out
Renewable resources include:
Solar energy
Wind
Bio-fuel
Hydroelectricity
Geothermal
Tidal
Non-renewable energy resources include:
Fossil Fuels (coal, oil and natural gas)
Nuclear fuel

Uses of Energy Resources

The three main uses of energy resources include:

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Transport
Electricity generation Your notes
Heating

Types of energy resources

Transport
The majority of vehicles in the world are powered by petroleum products such as petrol, diesel and
kerosene
These resources all originate from crude oil, which is a fossil fuel
A growing number of vehicles are now being powered by electricity
The advantage of this is that while the vehicle is being driven, it produces zero carbon emissions
The disadvantage is that when the vehicle is being charged, it is connected to the National Grid,
which currently uses a combination of renewable and non-renewable energy sources
Vehicles can also be powered by biofuel
The advantage of biofuel is that it is a renewable resource

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However, the claim that biofuels are carbon-neutral is largely controversial

Electricity Generation Your notes
Electricity plays a bigger role in people's lives than ever before
With more than 8 billion people in the world, this means the demand for electricity is extremely high
To keep up with this demand, a combination of all the energy resources available is needed
On the downside, the majority (84%) of the world's energy is still produced by non-renewable, carbon-
emitting sources
This has an enormous negative impact on the environment
Currently, scientists are working hard to develop more and more efficient ways to produce
electricity using more carbon-neutral energy resources

Pie chart of global energy consumption

Heating
Most homes in cold countries are fitted with central heating systems

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These utilise natural gas in order to heat up water which can be pumped around radiators throughout
the home
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Unfortunately, gas is a non-renewable energy resource
In geologically active countries, such as Iceland, they are fortunate to be able to heat their homes using
geothermal energy

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Comparing Energy Resources

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Comparing Energy Resources
Each energy resource has various advantages and disadvantages associated with it
A renewable energy resource is one that is replenished at a faster rate than the rate at which it is being
used
As a result of this, renewable energy resources will not run out
A reliable energy resource is one that can produce energy at any time
Non-reliable resources can only produce energy some of the time (e.g. when it’s windy)
The table below shows a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of the different energy
resources:

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The main reasons why fusion is not currently used as a source of power on Earth are the difficulties in
achieving (and maintaining)
High temperatures
High pressures
Whilst physicists have been able to attain the temperatures and pressure needed, there are difficulties
in containing them, which inevitably means that only a small amount of fusion can take place
Such a small rate of fusion is not useful for current energy needs
Creating the temperatures needed for fusion requires a great deal of energy
Hence, physicists are still a long way from the point where they will produce more energy from
fusion than the energy needed to start it

Examiner Tips and Tricks

Make sure you're familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of large scale electricity
production from renewable and non-renewable energy sources, as this is a common exam

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question!

Your notes

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Environmental Issues
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Environmental Issues
The current evidence for climate change is overwhelming – in order to limit global warming, carbon
emissions must be limited globally
Doing so, however, requires a balanced approach – carbon-neutral energy resources either lack public
support, reliability or cannot produce sufficient energy to meet the demand
Nevertheless, over the past 20 years, there has been a gradual shift towards cleaner technologies
Government grants have encouraged the development of wind and solar farms
Coal has gradually been replaced with cleaner natural gas
A new generation of nuclear power stations are currently in development – although with old
power stations being shut down, nuclear power is becoming a smaller option
Further reduction of carbon emissions will require some further measures:
More nuclear power stations will be needed to replace existing fossil fuel stations
A means of storing energy from unreliable sources (such as solar and wind) will need to be
developed
Although science can identify environmental issues arising from the use of energy sources, political,
social, ethical and economic considerations must be taken to deal with these issues

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In the past 30 years in the UK:

Fossil fuel use has dropped from 75% to 38%
Renewable energy use has increased from 2% to 35%
Coal used to be the main provider of energy in the UK, but now it is natural gas
This is because, out of the 3 main fossil fuels, coal produces the most carbon dioxide, while natural
gas produces the least
Switching to gas is not the solution to reducing carbon emissions, but as the use of carbon-neutral
energy resources increases, it is a step in the right direction

The Greenhouse Effect

Global warming is a problem caused by the Greenhouse Effect
The Greenhouse Effect is caused by the increased concentration and effect of greenhouse gases,
mainly methane and carbon dioxide

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The process of global warming is as follows:

The Sun emits rays that enter the Earth’s atmosphere
The infrared radiation is emitted back from the Earth’s surface
Some infrared radiation is reflected back out into Space

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Some infrared radiation is absorbed by Greenhouse gases and becomes trapped within the
Earth’s atmosphere, causing the Earth’s average temperature to rise as a result
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The higher the concentration of greenhouse gases, the higher the Earth's average temperature
will rise
Once the temperature increases too much, this will lead to devastating consequences:
Climate change due to the increase in Earth’s temperature
Sea levels will rise as glaciers melt because of high temperatures, causing flooding in low-lying
countries
Extinction of species due to the destruction of natural habitats
Migration of species (including humans) as they will move to areas that are more habitable (with no
droughts or recurring wildfires)
Spread of diseases caused by warmer climate
Loss of habitat due to climate change (animals that live on glaciers)
Many of these consequences have already begun to take effect
It is predicted many of these will have taken full effect by 2050 if carbon emissions are not
drastically reduced

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