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16 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
fossil fuel |
are the remains of ancient organisms that changed into coal, oil, or natural gas. |
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What are the four main purposes for fuel? |
Transportation, manufacturing, heating & cooling buildings, and generating electricity to run machines and appliances. |
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What is a machine that converts mechanical energy. |
Electric generator |
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The United States uses more energy per person than any other country in the world except Canada and ______? |
the United Arab Emirates |
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More than half of the electricity generated in the United States comes from what? |
Burning coal |
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Oil and natural gas result from what? |
The decay of tiny marine organisms that accumulated on the bottom of the ocean millions of years ago. |
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Petroleum can be refined into fuels to power vehicles and _______. Petroleum can also be used to manufacture many other products. |
machines |
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Most of the worlds needs are met by _____________, which are nonrenewable resources. |
fossil fuels |
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The energy within the nucleus of an atom.
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Nuclear energy |
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When ________ nuclei are bombarded with neutrons, they undergo fission and release large amounts of energy. |
Uranium |
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In a nuclear power station, the heat generated by fission is used to heat water to form____? |
Steam |
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Nuclear power plants releases less ______ than coal-fired power plants do, when operated properly. |
Radioactivity |
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Where did the most serious nuclear accident occur? What was responsible for the accident? |
* Three Mile Island nuclear plant * human error, blocked valves and broken pumps |
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Nuclear fussion |
Occurs when lightweight atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus and release tremendous amounts of energy. |
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Thetechnical problems are so complex that building a nuclear fusion plant may take ____ or may never happen
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Decades |
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Every year, the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant generates enough energy for 2 million Californian households- the energy equivalent of burning what? |
20 million barrels of oil |