Energy Resources - Lab Report Example

Environmental Science Interactive Energy Resources: Review Question Energy is the ability to do work. This ability may include the power to run machines, power to heat homes, etc.2. We use energy in almost all the aspects of our day today life. I t may involve cooking food, keeping our houses warm, washing clothes, running cars, running computers and other electronic gadgets, etc.3. Non-renewable sources of energy are limited in quantity, can not be replaced easily and face the possibility being completely depleted.

Examples include coal, natural gas, oil, etc. Renewable sources of energy are basically unlimited and can easily be replaced. These include solar energy, wind energy, biogas, etc.4. Non-renewable sources are the most used fuel in the world. This includes coal and oil. Renewable sources are the least used fuel in the world, which includes the solar and the wind energy.5. A generator is a gadget that produces electricity through electromagnetic induction. When a wire is moved in a magnetic field, electricity is generated in that wire.

A motor is a machine that is just the reverse of generator. When electricity is passed through a motor, it causes the internal shaft to spin. This spinning action can be used to perform various tasks.6. Fossil fuels are the energy sources that are derived from the organic matter produced millions of years ago and preserved in certain ideal conditions. We care about fossil fuels because they are non-renewable and once depleted can never be replaced.7. The three types of solar energy are:Passive Solar Energy – Ex. Windows.Active Solar Energy – That is generated through solar collectors and can be used to run gadgets and machines.

Solar Cells – Here the solar energy is converted into electricity by using photovoltaic cells.8. Global energy consumption has increased by 60% between 1970 to 1999. By 2020 the global energy consumption is expected to increase by 200%.9. The patterns of energy usage and waste production in industrialized world differ from those in the non-industrialized world because in the industrialized world most of the activities are automated and require electricity and oil as their energy sources. Contrary to this, in the non-industrialized nations, the economies are primarily agrarian and depend on conventional energy sources like wood, coal, etc.

Hence the patterns of waste production tend to differ in the two worlds.Energy Resources Exercise 1: Comparing Sources1. Washington and New York.2. Different states have different energy strategies because:The nature of energy sources in respective states tend to differ a lot.The environmental laws in the respective states tend to be different, thus allowing for variations in the usage of energy sources.Energy Resources Exercise 2: Comparing CostsPart A1. There exist vast differences in the usage of energy sources among countries owing to many reasons.

The industrialized countries have automated economies and means of production. Hence such developed nations utilize sophisticated sources of energy like electricity, nuclear energy, etc. On the contrary, the underdeveloped nations have primarily agrarian economies that utilize conventional sources of energy like fossil fuels, biomass fuels and the like. In the times to come, the industrialized nations will experience a marked shift towards renewable energy sources like the solar energy because of the financial resources that are at their disposal to conduct research and development in these areas.

Besides, the tougher environmental laws in the developed nations will motivate them to shift towards renewable energy resources. So far as the non-industrialized nations are concerned, the usage of fossil fuels is expected to increase as these economies become more industrialized and automated. 2. The assumption that the cost per MWh remains constant regardless of the country chosen is not realistic. The cost of energy generated by different countries tends to vary and mostly depends on the sophistication of the technology available, funds available to conduct R&D and to introduce energy efficient technologies and the type of natural resources possessed by a given country. Part B:1. No, we were not able to generate energy without any costs.2. The hidden costs of the energy resources used are:Cost of extracting these energy resources from their natural environment.

The cost of primary fuels used in using these energy resources.The cost of technology used in harnessing energy from these resources.3. In a desert environment were hydropower and geothermal energy are not available, the cheapest way to produce energy will be by burning the dry biomass like shrubs, wood, bio-waste from camels and other animals. However, such energy sources release pollutants like CO2, SO2. In the given scenario, the hidden costs are next to negligible. 4. In a community scenario where nuclear energy is not allowed, the cheapest way to generate energy will be by burning wood and coal.

However, such resources generate massive amounts of CO2, SO2 and mercury. However, the pollution in such a scenario can be significantly decreased by using a combination of solar energy and wind energy. 5. The advantages of using diverse energy sources are:It ensures energy security in a country during emergencies.It allows for a better exploitation of varied energy resources available in a country.It allows for harnessing energy within the given budgetary constraints. It allows for providing a large section of the population with electricity.

It allows for a fast paced industrialization and development. Energy Resources: Quiz1. c. Telecommunication2. b. Solar3. a. Hydrogen4. c. Oil5. a. Coal6. a. Mexico7. c. Kenya8. b. CO29. a. SO2Short Answer Questions:1. There is less usage of renewable energy resources because such sources are not uniformly available throughout the world and the technology required for harnessing energy from them is costly and not optimally efficient till date. Constructing dams for using hydroelectricity is not only costly, but also fraught with grave environmental, climatic and social repercussions.

Usage of solar energy demands regular sunshine and vast spaces to install solar panels, which is not feasible at all places. Usage of wind energy requires special weather conditions and the wind catching devices required for this purpose are presently not cost effective and efficient. 2. Over the next 20 years, the developing countries are expected to see a marked appreciation in energy consumption because as these nations get industrialized and urbanized, they will require large amounts of energy to meet their developmental and social needs.3. Primary energy sources do not require any input from some additional energy source to yield energy.

Examples of primary energy sources are coal, oil and gas. Secondary energy sources require the usage of some primary energy source for their production. Electricity is the best example of a secondary energy source. 4. The various fossil fuels are:a. Coal – Though being the most abundant fossil fuel, it releases large amounts of pollutants.b. Oil – Though being the most used fossil fuel in the field of transportation, oil spills inevitably prove to be environmentally disastrous.c. Natural Gas – It is the least polluting fossil fuel.

However, there exist very limited stocks of natural gas in the world.