Energy Resources and Conservation Flashcards
Grade 8 · Science · Flashcards
Essential terms for understanding renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, their impacts, and conservation principles.
Flashcards
- Fossil fuels
- Coal, oil, and natural gas; nonrenewable fuels formed from ancient organisms over millions of years under heat and pressure.
- Renewable energy
- Energy from sources that are naturally and continuously replenished: solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass.
- Nonrenewable energy
- Energy from sources that are used faster than they can be replaced, such as fossil fuels and uranium.
- Solar energy
- Energy from the Sun captured by photovoltaic cells (electricity) or solar thermal collectors (heat).
- Wind energy
- Kinetic energy from moving air converted to electricity by wind turbines.
- Hydroelectric power
- Electricity generated by using the force of flowing or falling water to spin turbines connected to generators.
- Geothermal energy
- Heat energy from Earth's interior used to generate steam and produce electricity or heat buildings.
- Biomass energy
- Energy from organic materials (wood, crops, waste) that can be burned or converted to biofuels.
- Nuclear energy
- Energy released by nuclear fission (splitting uranium atoms); low-carbon but relies on finite uranium fuel.
- Energy conservation
- Reducing the amount of energy used through efficient technologies and changed behaviors to minimize waste.
- Law of conservation of energy
- Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be transformed from one form to another.
- Carbon footprint
- The total amount of greenhouse gases, especially CO₂, emitted directly or indirectly by an individual, organization, or activity.
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