Renewable Energy WebQuest

Use the following link to help you complete the questions on energy.
o http://www.eia.gov/kids/energyfacts/index.html

1) How do scientists define energy?

Energy is the ability to do work.
2) Explain the law of conservation of energy. Give examples of energy transformations.
Energy is neither created nor destroyed. A car engine burns gasoline, converting the chemical energy
in gasoline into mechanical energy.
3) What is energy efficiency?
Using less energy to provide the same service
4) What does it mean for energy to be nonrenewable? Renewable?
Renewable (an energy source that can be easily replenished)
Nonrenewable (an energy source that cannot be easily recreated)
5) According to the U.S. Energy Consumption by Energy Source, 2012, what percentage of energy that
we use is renewable? What percent is nonrenewable?
About 90% of all energy we use is nonrenewable; only about 10% is renewable.
Renewable Energy Sources
6) What are the 6 forms of renewable energy resources?
Solar energy; wind energy; geothermal energy; biomass; hydropower; electricity
Solar
7) What is solar energy?
Energy from the sun which can be turned into heat and electricity,
8) Solar energy is converted into what energy?
Thermal energy.
9) Give two examples of how solar energy is used.
Light and heat.
10) What do solar cells do?
Change sunlight directly into electricity.
11) What do solar power plants do?
Generate electricity by concentrating solar energy to heat a fluid and produce steam that is then used
to power a generator.
12) What are the 2 main disadvantages to solar energy?
The amount of sunlight that arrives at earths surface is not constant. Because the sun doesn't deliver
that much energy to any one place at any one time, a large surface area is required to collect the
energy at a useful rate.
13) Explain how solar energy is beneficial for the environment.
It does not produce air or water pollution and does not produce greenhouse gases.
Wind.
14) What is wind and how is it caused?
Wind is energy from moving air and is caused by the uneven heating of the earths surface from the
sun.
15) What did American colonists use windmills for?
To grind grain, to pump water, and to cut wood at sawmills.

16) What do wind machines produce?

Energy from wind.
17) Describe a wind power plant.
A power plant of carefully placed wind turbines.
18) Describe the negative effects of wind machines.
Negative visual impact on landscape. Some have caught fire and some have leaked lubricating fluids
but that is a relatively rare occurrence.
Geothermal
19) What does the word geothermal mean?
Earth heat.
20) What is geothermal energy?
Heat from within the earth.
21) Geothermal energy is generated in the
Earths core.
22) Where is geothermal energy found?
Geothermal reservoirs are naturally occurring and are found deep underground.
23) Name 2 ways people have used direct geothermal energy?
Ancient Romans, Chinese, and Native American cultures used hot mineral springs for bathing,
cooking, and heating. Geothermal energy is also used to heat buildings through district heating
systems.
24) Describe how has Iceland used geothermal energy?
For electricity.
Biomass
25) What does Biomass mean and what does it contain?
Biomass is renewable energy from plants and animals.
26) Name 5 things that are biomass materials.
Wood, crops, animal manure, garbage, and human sewage.
27) What is the most common biomass material?
Wood.
28) 84% of wood energy is used where?
Industry.
29) How can biomass energy be negative to the environment?
Air pollution.
Hydroelectric.
30) Hydroelectric power generates what type of energy?
Electricity.
31) What 3 states hold over one-half of the total U.S. hydroelectric capacity for electricity is Washington,
Oregon, and California.
32) Most dams in the United States were not built to provide electricity, but for irrigation and flood
control.
Ocean
33) Tides are the rising and falling of the ocean shore. What are tides caused by?
The gravitational pull of the moon and sun, and the rotation of the Earth.
34) Compare wind turbines and wave turbines.
Tidal turbines are basically wind turbines in the water that can be located anywhere there is strong
tidal flow.
35) Not only could the ocean provide us with tidal energy, but wave energy.

36) What is Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion?

The Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion system uses a temperature difference to operate a turbine to
produce electricity.
37) 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?
Tidal and wave energy.
Use of Energy.
38) What are the 4 areas in which energy is used?
Residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation.
Residential- homes.
39) List the 5 ways in which energy is used in our homes.
Space heating, electronics, air conditioning, water heating, and refrigeration.
40) What is the most used type of energy in the home?
Space heating.
Saving Energy
Energy Efficiency
41) How much energy does the United States use?
42) The average American consumes __________________________ more energy than the world average.
43) Identify 5 different ways in which we can conserve energy.