Criteria for evaluating test item responses
Answers should be based on the energy chart below. Any of the resources may be recommended if an appropriate argument is made for its use and at least one drawback is also given. The resource must also be properly identified as renewable or non-renewable, with an explanation that shows the student understands the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources as defined in the lesson.
Energy Source Description Advantages DisadvantagesCoal
Black rock-like solid fossil fuel found underground. Burned or gasified to produce electricity.
- Technology to convert coal to electricity is well developed and inexpensive
- U.S. sources of coal are available
- Nonrenewable
- Pollutes air when burned (acid rain/smog)
- Can damage land when extracted
Oil
Thick, brown liquid fossil fuel found under land and water. Must be drilled and pumped out. Burned or gasified to produce electricity.
- Technology to convert oil to electricity is well developed and inexpensive
- Nonrenewable
- Pollutes air when burned (acid rain/smog)
- Can damage land when extracted
Natural Gas
Invisible, odorless gas (fossil fuel) found underground. Burned or gasified to produce heat and electricity.
- Cleanest fossil fuel
- U.S. has a fairly large supply
- Price of fuel can be volatile
- Extraction can damage land
- Nonrenewable
Nuclear Fission
Atoms that form Uranium are split apart and release heat energy which produce steam for electric turbines.
- Uranium is inexpensive and abundantly available
- Waste materials are radioactive and must be stored carefully for thousands of years
- Nonrenewable
Waste-to-Energy
Includes landfill methane and burning or gasifying trash to produce electricity.
- Saves space in landfills
- Relatively inexpensive
- May involve high levels of recycling if gasified
- Relatively cheap
- Releases toxic gases
- May not encourage paper recycling
- It takes time for landfills to decay and release gas
- Still emits greenhouse gas
Biogas from Crops
Farmers can use crop waste or entire crops that can be gasified or burned as fuel.
- Somewhat inexpensive
- Fairly clean
- Renewable
- Still emits greenhouse gas
- Fairly new technology
Hydropower
Running water turns a turbine and produces electricy.
- No fuel costs
- Renewable
- No pollution
- Can impact aquatic life
- Doesn't work well on flat surfaces
Wind Power
Wind turns a turbine and produces electricity.
- No fuel costs
- Renewable
- No pollution
- Requires wind speeds >14 mph to be cost effective
Solar Electricity
(Photovoltaics - PV)Sun shines on solar cells (semiconductor material) and produces electric current.
- No fuel costs
- Renewable
- No pollution
- Can be installed on buildings
- PV equipment is expensive
- Only heats when sun is shining
Solar Thermal
Sun's heat is collected to heat domestic or pool water or create steam for electricity using concentrators.
- No fuel costs
- Renewable
- Domestic heaters can be used on homes
- Initial cost of domestic solar systems is moderately high
- Only heats when sun is shining
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