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? Energy forms are either potential or kinetic
2) Explain the law of conservation of energy. Give examples of energy transformations
3) What is energy efficiency? The use of energy
4) What does it mean for energy to be nonrenewable? Renewable? Renwable can be used without running
out
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 percent is non
Renewable Energy Sources
6) What are the 6 forms of renewable energy resources? Solar wind hydro ocean geothermal biomass

Solar

7) What is solar energy? The use of heat energy for power

8) Solar energy is converted into what energy? Electric
9) Give two examples of how solar energy is used. Solar cells solar plants
10) What do solar cells do? One house
11) What do solar power plants do? For more than one home
12) \What are the 2 main disadvantages to solar energy? Only 20% cost
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13) Explain how solar energy is beneficial for the environment. It is clean
Wind.
14) What is wind and how is it caused?
15) What did American colonists use windm Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the earth's surface by
the sunills for? ____________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
16) What do wind machines produce? power
17) Describe a wind power plant. Wind turbines use blades to collect the winds kinetic energy
18) Describe the negative effects of wind machines. Take up space hard to repair

 Geothermal
19) What does the word geothermal mean? Its greek for earth heat
20) What is geothermal energy? energy is heat from within the earth
21) Geothermal energy is generated in the lower crust
22) Where is geothermal energy found? On plates
23) Name 2 ways people have used direct geothermal energy? Pips into the ground gysers
24) Describe how has Iceland used geothermal energy? By sticking pips into the ground and boiling the
water
Biomass
25) What does Biomass mean and what does it contain? Biomass is organic material that comes from plants
and animals
26) Name 5 things that are biomass materials. wood, crops, animal manure, and human
sewage._____________________________________________________________________________
_______
27) What is the most common biomass material? wood, crops, animal manure, and human sewage.
28) 84% of wood energy is used where? us
29) How can biomass energy be negative to the environment? Its unwanted dirty energy
Hydroelectric.
30) Hydroelectric power generates what type of energy? Energy from moving water
31) What 3 states hold over one-half of the total U.S. hydroelectric capacity for electricity is
_________________, _________________. and ____________.
32) Most dams in the United States were not built to provide electricity, but for citys and people
Ocean
33) Tides are the rising and falling of the ocean shore. What are tides caused by? The pull from the moon
34) Compare wind turbines and wave turbines. One is under water
35) Not only could the ocean provide us with tidal energy, but wave turbines energy.
36) What is Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion?
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? _____________________________________________________________________________

Use of Energy.

38) What are the 4 areas in which energy is used? Trans industry
____________________________________________________________________________________

Residential- homes.

39) List the 5 ways in which energy is used in our homes. Lights water tv microwave oven
____________________________________________________________________________________
40) What is the most used type of energy in the home? Eletircal

Saving Energy
Energy Efficiency
41) How much energy does the United States use?
____________________________________________________________________________________
42) The average American consumes __________________________ more energy than the world average.
43) Identify 5 different ways in which we can conserve energy. ____________________________________
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