click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Energy
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Renewable resources | materials from the earth that people use that can be replaced relatively quickly |
| Nonrenewable resources | materials from the earth that people use that can not be replaced |
| Inexhaustible resources | materials that cant be used up by human activity |
| Fossil fuels | a fuel formed from the decay if ancient forms of life |
| Alternative energy sources | a source of energy other than the burning of a fossil fuel |
| Nuclear energy | energy from inside the nucleus of an atom |
| Geothermal energy | heat from below the Earth's surface |
| Hydroelectricity | electricity generated by running water |
| Pollution | a harmful change to the environment |
| Smog | a mixture of smoke and fog, formed when smoke and fumes collect in moist, calm air |
| Acid rain | acid that is formed when the sulfur and nitrogen gases by burning fossil fuels combine with water vapor in the air then fall to earth as rain |
| Thermal pollution | the addition of warm water into a stream or lake that is normally cold |
| Monetary costs | the cash value of energy use;examples include the cost of heating a home or the large amount of money used to clean up an oil spill |
| Nonmonetary cost | the environmental consequences of energy use; examples include the generation of pollution and long-term health problems caused for people |
| Cost effectiveness | a measure determined by comparing the costs and the consequences of different ways of doing something |
| Conservation | saving, protecting, or using natural resources wisely |
| Biomass | resource that comes from living, or recently living organisms |
| Hydrogen fuel | hydrogen gas burned as an energy source |
| Reduce | To use less of something |
| Reuse | To use something again |
| Recycle | To make new materials out of old objects or materials |