Energy Flashcards
(36 cards)
active collection
the use of devices such as solar panels to collect, focus, transport or store solar energy
anthracite
the cleanest burning coal, almost pure carbon
barrels
the unit used to describe the volume of fossil fuels
bituminous
the second purest form of coal
crude oil
the form petroleum takes when in the ground
energy
the capacity to do work
fission
nuclear reaction in which an atomic nucleus, especially a heavy nucleus such as an isotope of uranium, splits into fragments, usually two of comparable mass, real easing from 100 million to several hundred million electron volts of energy
fossil fuel
a hydrocarbon deposit, such as petroleum, coal or natural gas, derived from living matter of a pervious geologic time and used as fuel
First Law of Thermodynamics
says that energy can neither be created no destroyed, only transferred or transformed
fly ash
a waste product produced by burring coal
half-life
the amount of time it takes for half of a radioactive sample to disappear
Hubbert peak
peak oil, influential theory that concerns the long-term rate of conventional oil, and other fossil due, extraction and depletion, predicting that the future world oil production will soon reach a peak and then rapidly decline
hydroelectric power
power generated using water
kinetic energy
the energy of motion
lignite
the least pure coal.
nuclear fusion
the process of fusing two nuclei
overburden
the rocks and earth that are removed when strip mining for a commercially valuable mineral resource
passive solar energy collection
the use of building materials, building placement and design to passively collect solar energy that can be used to keep a building warm or cool.
petroleum
oil, a hydrocarbon that forms as sediments are buried and pressurized
photovoltaic cell (PV cell)
a semiconductor device that converts the energy of sunlight into electric energy
potential energy
energy at rest, or stored energy
proven reserve
an estimate of the amount of fossil due that can be obtained from reserve
radiant energy
sunlight
scrubbers
devices containing alkaline substances that precipitate out much of the sulfur dioxide from industrial plants air effluent