Comprehensive Study Guide: Energy Resources and Consumption

Kinetic Energy

Energy of motion, such as wind blowing or water flowing through a dam.

Potential Energy

Stored energy, such as water behind a dam or chemical bonds in coal.

Thermal Energy

Heat generated by the movement of molecules.

First Law of Thermodynamics

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

When energy is transformed, its ability to do work diminishes and entropy increases.

Entropy

A measure of disorder in a system, which increases as energy is transformed.

Joules (J)

A unit of energy.

Calorie (cal)

A unit of energy defined as the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius.

British Thermal Unit (Btu)

A unit of energy equivalent to the amount needed to heat one pound of water by one degree Fahrenheit.

Kilowatt-hour (kWh)

A unit of energy equal to one kilowatt of power used for one hour.

Watt (W)

A unit of power equal to one joule per second.

Horsepower (hp)

A unit of power equivalent to 746 watts.

Energy Return on Energy Investment (EROEI)

A measure of the efficiency of a fuel source.

Peat

Partially decayed plant matter, ordered lowest in energy and highest in moisture.

Lignite

Brown coal; low heat and creates lots of smoke.

Bituminous

Soft coal with high sulfur content, commonly used for electricity.

Anthracite

Hard coal with the highest energy density and lowest sulfur.

Surface Mining

A method of extracting minerals by removing soil and rock above the mineral deposit.

Subsurface Mining

A method of extracting minerals from underground.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)

Techniques aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions from combustion.

Scrubbers

Devices that spray wet limestone slurry into exhaust to neutralize sulfur dioxide.

Electrostatic Precipitators

Devices that use electrical charge to attract and trap particulates.

Fluidized Bed Combustion

A process that burns granulated coal near calcium carbonate to absorb sulfur dioxide.

Fractional Distillation

A process of refining crude oil by boiling and separating different components based on boiling points.

Cogeneration

The simultaneous production of electricity and useful heat from the same energy source.

Methane (CH4)

The primary component of natural gas, known for being a clean-burning fossil fuel.

Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking)

A method for extracting oil and gas from shale by injecting high-pressure fluids.

Nuclear Fission

The process of splitting atomic nuclei to generate heat and produce energy.

Uranium-235

The isotope of uranium commonly used as fuel in nuclear reactors.

Control Rods

Rods inserted between fuel rods in a nuclear reactor to absorb neutrons and regulate the reaction.

Radioactive Half-Life

The time it takes for half of a radioactive sample to decay.

Biomass

Organic matter burned for energy; considered carbon neutral.

Ethanol

A biofuel produced from fermented starches and sugars, mixed with gasoline.

Photovoltaic (PV) Cells

Devices that convert sunlight directly into electricity.

Passive Solar

Heating buildings using architectural design without mechanical systems.

Active Solar

Systems that use mechanical parts to capture and convert solar energy.

Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)

A method of generating electricity by using mirrors to concentrate sunlight.

Water Impoundment

The creation of a large reservoir behind a dam for hydroelectric power.

Geothermal Energy

Energy derived from heat stored in the Earth.

Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Devices that produce electricity through chemical reactions between hydrogen and oxygen.

Offshore Wind Energy

Wind energy harnessed from wind turbines located in ocean waters.

Negawatt

A unit of energy saved through efficiency measures rather than generated.