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? ________power derived from the utilization of physical or chemical
resources, especially to provide light and heat or to work machines._________
2) Explain the law of conservation of energy. Give examples of energy
transformations._____________Energy is neither created or destroyed______
3) What is energy efficiency? ________amount of useful energy you get from any type of
system__________
4) What does it mean for energy to be nonrenewable? Renewable? _______Non renewable means it can
run out. Renewable means we can create more of the source____
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? ___________91% non 9%
renewable____________

Renewable Energy Sources

6) What are the 6 forms of renewable energy resources? Hydropower Geothermal Wind Solar Wood

Solar

7) What is solar energy? __Solar energy is the sun's rays (solar radiation) that reach the earth___________
8) Solar energy is converted into what energy? ____Thermal energy_____________________
9) Give two examples of how solar energy is used.
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 the earth's surface is not constant. It varies depending on location,
time of day, time of year, and weather conditions.
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. ____
Solar energy systems do not produce air pollutants or carbon dioxide.

When located on buildings, solar energy systems have minimal impact on the environment.
_________________________________________
Wind.
14) What is wind and how is it caused? Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the earth's surface by the
sun
15) What did American colonists use windmills for? grind grain, to pump water, and to cut wood at
sawmills_____________________________________
16) What do wind machines produce? Power to electricity grids_______________
17) Describe a wind power plant. ___Wind power plants, or wind farms, are clusters of wind turbines that
produce large amounts of electricity
18) Describe the negative effects of wind machines. Some people dont like how they look. They can strat
fires. Some people are bothered by the sounds.
Geothermal
19) What does the word geothermal mean? ___ comes from the Greek words geo (earth) and therme
(heat)_________
20) What is geothermal energy? ________Geothermal energy is heat from within the earth___________
21) Geothermal energy is generated in the __earth
22) Where is geothermal energy found? Geothermal reservoirs are naturally occurring areas of hydrothermal
resources. They are deep underground and are largely undetectable above
ground______________________
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. Today, many hot springs are still used for bathing, and many people believe the hot,
mineral-rich waters have natural healing powers.
________________________
24) Describe how has Iceland used geothermal energy? Geothermal energy is also used to heat buildings
through district heating systems. Hot water near the Earth's surface can be piped directly into buildings
and industries for heat. A district heating system provides heat for most of the buildings in Reykjavik,
Iceland.
Biomass
25) What does Biomass mean and what does it contain? _____ Biomass is organic material that comes from
plants and animals. Biomass contains stored energy from the
sun_________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________
______________________
26) Name 5 things that are biomass materials. paper, cardboard, food scraps, grass clippings, leaves, wood
27) What is the most common biomass material? ___Wood_______________________________
28) 84% of wood energy is used where? Wood and wood waste______________________
29) How can biomass energy be negative to the environment? Using biomass for energy provides an
alternative to using fossil fuels_____________________________
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 _New York_____.
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?
wind______________________
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? __Tidal turbines are basically wind turbines in the water
that can be located anywhere there is strong tidal flow
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? Wave energy, tidal energy_______________________________________________

Use of Energy.

38) What are the 4 areas in which energy is used? ___industrial, transportation, residential, commercial__

Residential- homes.

39) List the 5 ways in which energy is used in our homes. 96% used a clothes washer
94% used a clothes dryer
81% used a computer
67% used a dishwasher
53% used three or more televisions__________________
40) What is the most used type of energy in the home? _____Natural gas____________

 Saving Energy
Energy Efficiency
41) How much energy does the United States use?____ 97 quadrillion Btu
42) The average American consumes ____20%_______ more energy than the world average.
43) Identify 5 different ways in which we can conserve energy.

Using more natural light