Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy Flashcard

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What is renewable energy?

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Energy that is collected from resources that are naturally replenished, such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, and geothermal heat.

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What is nonrenewable energy?

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Energy that comes from sources that will run out or will not be replenished in our lifetimes, such as fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) and nuclear energy.

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What are fossil fuels?

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Natural substances formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals, including coal, oil, and natural gas.

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What is nuclear energy?

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Energy produced from nuclear reactions, specifically from the splitting (fission) or combining (fusion) of atomic nuclei.

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What is a wind turbine?

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A device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy, which can then be converted into electricity.

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What is solar energy?

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Energy harnessed from the sun's rays, which can be converted into electricity or heat.

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What is geothermal energy?

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Energy derived from the heat stored beneath the Earth's surface.

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What is biomass energy?

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Energy produced from organic materials, such as plant and animal waste.

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What is the greenhouse effect?

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The warming of the Earth's surface due to the trapping of heat by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

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What are the advantages of renewable energy?

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Renewable energy sources are sustainable, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and decrease dependence on fossil fuels.