64 Electricity Generation

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64 Electricity Generation Key Vocabulary advantage biomass disadvantage electricity generation fossil fuels generator hydroelectric power nonrenewable resource nuclear energy power plant renewable resource solar energy turbine wind energy

64 Electricity Generation Where does the electricity that we use in our homes come from? Record your ideas in your notebook.

64 Electricity Generation Electricity generation power plant turbines generators

64 Electricity Generation Read the introduction and look for key ideas This city uses a large amount of electrical energy.

64 Electricity Generation What are the advantages and disadvantages of the different sources of energy that produce electricity in the United States?

64 Electricity Generation Complete the reading

64 Electricity Generation Analysis question 1 Which energy sources are: a.renewable? b.nonrenewable?

64 Electricity Generation Analysis question 2 Which type of electrical energy generation do you feel has: a.the most important advantage? b.the greatest disadvantage?

64 Electricity Generation Analysis question 3 A sunny and windy city near a mountain river currently uses 40% coal, 30% natural gas, 25% hydroelectric, and 5% other renewable methods for generating electricity. The community needs more electricity, and you have been hired to recommend the type(s) of electrical generation to install. Which energy facility(ies) should this city build for the future? Be sure to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each energy type that you recommend.

64 Electricity Generation SCORING GUIDE: Evidence and Trade-offs

64 Electricity Generation Analysis question 4 Look at the information below about the top four electricity-producing countries in the world. a.What trends do you see in electricity generation of the major producers?

64 Electricity Generation Analysis question 4 b.France generates its 530 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity, using 10% fossil fuels, 11% hydroelectric, 78% nuclear power, and less than 1% geothermal, wind, and biomass. How is France’s energy generation similar to or different from the trends you identified in Question 4a?

64 Electricity Generation SCORING GUIDE: Analyzing Data

64 Electricity Generation What are the advantages and disadvantages of the different sources of energy that produce electricity in the United States? Wind energy

64 Electricity Generation Key vocabulary definitions Advantage – A property that, in your opinion, is good. Biomass – Material from living things, such as plants and animals, that is used as a source of fuel.

64 Electricity Generation Key vocabulary definitions Disadvantage – A property that, in your opinion, is not good. Electricity generation – Any one of several types of energy that is transformed into electricity.

64 Electricity Generation Key vocabulary definitions Fossil fuel - A fuel produced when living plant materials have been buried and changed by heat and pressure under layers within the earth over millions of years of time. Natural gas, petroleum, and coal are examples of fossil fuels.

64 Electricity Generation Key vocabulary definitions Generator - A machine for making electricity, generally by the circular movement of a turbine, driven by steam or water, connected to a magnet that revolves inside another magnet. When a magnet moves inside another magnet, an electric current results. This current can be transmitted for immediate use, or stored for later use.

64 Electricity Generation Key vocabulary definitions Hydroelectric power – The system in which energy is generated by moving water that turns the blades of a turbine, which generates electricity. Nonrenewable resource - Energy obtained from such sources as fossil fuels and uranium ores. Once used, these sources are no longer available to furnish energy.

64 Electricity Generation Key vocabulary definitions Nuclear energy – A type of potential energy that is stored in the nucleus of an atom. Power plant – A facility that transforms energy into electricity and distributes it to the surrounding area.

64 Electricity Generation Key vocabulary definitions Renewable resource – A source of material that can easily be produced again and again in nature, such as wood, solar, and hydroelectric power, and food crops. Solar energy – Energy that comes from the Sun.

64 Electricity Generation Key vocabulary definitions Turbine - Any of many machines that use kinetic energy from the movement of wind, water, steam, or gas to generate mechanical energy. A turbine is made of paddles, buckets, or blades attached to a wheel that turns to produce mechanical energy. Turbines also drive electric generators that transform mechanical energy into electrical energy.

64 Electricity Generation Key vocabulary definitions Wind energy – Energy from the wind that causes a turbine to turn in order to generate electricity.

64 Electricity Generation Research Contact your local electricity company, and find out what percent of their electrical generation comes from each source. They may call this the local “Electricity Generation Portfolio.”

64 Electricity Generation Investigate Investigate how the use of fossil fuels in the United States compares to other countries. Go to the Issues and Physical Science page of the SEPUP website.