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AQA GCSE Physics Chapter 3 Summary - Energy Resources
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This document covers the fundamental information from Chapter 3 of the AQA Physics GCSE.
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Chapter 3 – Energy Resources3.1 – Energy Demands
Most of the energy you use comes from burning fossil fuels, mainly coal, oil, and gas
Nuclear power, biofuels, and renewable resources are also used to generate some of the energy
you use
A biofuel is any fuel obtained from living or recently living organisms
Biofuels are renewable meaning they can be replaced at the same rate at which they are being
used
Biofuels are also carbon-neutral meaning the carbon taken in as carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere by the living organisms can balance the amount released when the biofuel is burnt
Examples of biofuels are vegetable oil, methane, ethanol, and straw
Uranium or plutonium is used as the fuel in a nuclear power station. Much more energy is
released per kilogram from uranium or plutonium than from burning fossil fuels
The nucleus of a uranium atom is unstable and can be split in two. This process releases energy,
which is used to heat water, turning it into steam which can be used to produce electricity
3.2 – Energy From Wind and Water
A wind turbine is an electricity generator, at the top of a narrow tower, whose turbine blades
are turned by the wind
A wave generator uses the motion of waves to make a floating turbine move up and down
Hydroelectric turbine generators are turned by water running downhill
A tidal power station traps water from each high tide and uses it to turn turbines
3.3 – Power From The Sun and The Earth
Solar cells are flat, solid cells that use the sun’s energy to generate electricity directly
Solar heating panels use the suns energy to heat water directly
Geothermal energy comes from the energy released by radioactive substances deep within the
Earth
In a geothermal power station, water is pumped onto hot rocks underground to produce steam,
which drives turbines at the Earth’s surface
3.4 – Energy and The Environment
Different energy resources can be evaluated in terms of reliability, environmental effects,
pollution, and waste
Fuel Advantages Disadvantages
Fossil Fuels Cheap to use Not renewable
Easy to obtain (at the Oil and gas will probably run
moment) out in the next 50 years
Relatively easy to produce When burnt, greenhouse gases
energy from them such as carbon dioxide are
released
Burning coal and oil releases
sulphur dioxide, which causes
acid rain
Nuclear Power Nuclear power stations do not Used fuel rods contain
produce greenhouse gases radioactive waste that must be
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