1.7.

3 Energy Resources

Descriptions & Forms

 Energy resources are large banks of energy that can be transferred into a form that can be used
by society, such as electrical energy

 The table below gives a brief description of the main energy resources, along with the form of
energy contained in that resource

Advantages and Disadvantages

 All energy resources have advantages and disadvantages associated with them
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The Sun

 Most of our energy resources on the Earth come from the Sun:
o The Sun heats up the atmosphere, creating wind and producing waves
o Water evaporated by the Sun falls as rain, filling up reservoirs
o Plants grown using sunlight form the basis for fuels – both biofuels and fossil fuels
 The Sun’s energy is produced by through the process of nuclear fusion in its core
o Nuclear fusion involves the collision (and bonding) of hydrogen nuclei to form
helium nuclei, releasing nuclear energy in the process
 Some forms of energy, however, do not come from the Sun
These include:
o Geothermal – this comes from heat produced in the Earth’s core
o Nuclear – this comes from elements which make up a small proportion of the Earth’s
crust
o Tidal – this comes (mainly) from the gravitational attraction of the moon