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Use the following link to help you complete the questions on energy.
o http://www.eia.gov/kids/energyfacts/index.html
6) What are the 6 forms of renewable energy resources? Biomass, hydropower, geothermal, wind, solar
Solar
15) What did American colonists use windmills for? To grind grain, pump water, and to cut wood at
sawmills
16) What do wind machines produce? Energy from wind.
17) Describe a wind power plant. A lot of windmills that spin to create electricity.
18) Describe the negative effects of wind machines. Many people see them as an eyesore. They also use
rare Earth metals.
Geothermal
19) What does the word geothermal mean? Geo (Earth) and thermal (Heat)
20) What is geothermal energy? Heat energy from within the Earth
21) Geothermal energy is generated in the Earth
22) Where is geothermal energy found? The most active resources are usually found on tectonic plate
boundaries
23) Name 2 ways people have used direct geothermal energy? Heating water and regulating temperatures
Describe how has Iceland used geothermal energy? Iceland uses it for District Heating Systems.
Heated water is pumped through buildings and other areas to heat it all up.
Biomass
24) What does Biomass mean and what does it contain? Biomass is organic matter that is burned and
used as a renewable resource.
25) Name 5 things that are biomass materials. Wood, crops, animal manure, human sewage, plant
material
26) What is the most common biomass material? Wood
27) 84% of wood energy is used where? Industry
28) How can biomass energy be negative to the environment? Things burned can release chemicals and
such into the atmosphere. Also, it leaves behind waste that has to be disposed of.
Hydroelectric.
29) Hydroelectric power generates what type of energy? Electrical
30) What 3 states hold over one-half of the total U.S. hydroelectric capacity for electricity is Washington,
Oregon, and California.
31) Most dams in the United States were not built to provide electricity, but for irrigation and flood
control.
Ocean
32) Tides are the rising and falling of the ocean shore. What are tides caused by? The moon and the sun
33) Compare wind turbines and wave turbines. Wind turbines use wind to rotate rotors and generate
power while wave turbines you the power of the waves to move turbines and generate power.
34) Not only could the ocean provide us with tidal energy, but wave energy.
35) What is Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion? A system that uses a temperature difference in water to
power a turbine.
36) Since the ocean expands almost two-thirds of the Earth, it makes sense to use that open ocean to provide
us with energy. What are the two forms of energy have scientists considered placing over the open
ocean? Wind and solar.
Use of Energy.
37) What are the 4 areas in which energy is used? Homes, industry, commercial buildings, and
transportation
Residential- homes.
38) List the 5 ways in which energy is used in our homes. Space heating, refrigeration, air conditioning,
water heating, and electricity
39) What is the most used type of energy in the home? Space heating
Saving Energy
Energy Efficiency
40) How much energy does the United States use?
41) The average American consumes __________________________ more energy than the world average.
42) Identify 5 different ways in which we can conserve energy. ____________________________________
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