YALE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

STUDY MATERIAL
CLASS – VIII / SUBJECT – PHYSICS
CHAPTER – 7 / TOPIC – ‘ENERGY RESOURCES’

RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES

1. SOLAR

Source – This is energy from sunlight. Sunlight can be captured by solar panels and its energy transferred
to electricity. Energy from the sun can also be focussed onto pipes carrying water transferring heat energy.

Advantage – It is a free unlimited source of energy. No waste or greenhouse gases produced.

Disadvantage – The source is not available at night. It can be an unreliable source of energy unless it is a
country with a hot climate.

2. WIND

Source – Wind is created by the action of warm air rising and cold air blowing to fill the vacuum created.
Hence, the source is the sun as it is its energy that warms the air.

Advantage – Wind is free. No waste or greenhouse gases produced.

Disadvantage – It is an unpredictable source of energy. Wind farms can be unsightly and cause noise
pollution.

3. TIDAL

Source – The pulling effect of the moon on the earth causes the oceans and seas to rise and fall. The
movement of the rise and fall of the oceans and seas can be used to drive turbines to generate electricity.

Advantage – It is a free source of energy. No waste or greenhouse gases are produced. Tides are
predictable.

Disadvantage – Tidal barrages can affect the natural habitat of wildlife and impact the environment.
Energy can only be produced when the tide is moving in or out.

4. HYDRO

Source – Water is stored in a large volume in a reservoir behind a dam. The potential energy of the water
can be transferred to kinetic energy in the turbines and used to generate electricity.

Advantage – Once the dam is built the energy is free. No waste or greenhouse gases are produced. It is a
very reliable source of energy.

Disadvantage – Dams are very expensive to built. Dams cause flooding which can seriously impact the
environment and local habitats.
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5. WAVES

Source – Waves are produced by the action of wind on oceans and seas.

Advantage – It is a free source of energy. No waste or greenhouse gases are produced.

Disadvantage – It is dependant on the strength. The system needs to be capable to withstand rough
weather. The sites are only limited to areas where the waves are consistently strong.

6. GEOTHERMAL

Source – Heat from under the earth in volcanic regions can be used to heat water to produce steam for
running turbines for generating electricity. In some cases it is used to heat water for heating.

Advantages – No fuel is needed. It does not contribute to the production of greenhouse gases.

Disadvantage – Limited sites are available. Hazardous gases (other than greenhouse gases) can be released
from the geothermal sites which require safe disposal.

7. BIOMASS

Source – This is the fuel obtained from decaying plant and animal material. Wood is one source as it can be
burnt to provide heat energy. Sugar cane can be fermented to produce alcohol which can be used as a fuel.

Advantage – It is a renewable source as long as plants and trees are planted. It is a very cheap and
available source of fuel.

Disadvantage – It can produce greenhouse gases and other waste gases. It can be hazardous as fuel may
catch fire if not carefully burned.

NON-RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES

1. PETROLEUM

Source – Petroleum is a fossil fuel formed by heat and pressure from the Earth’s crust acting on the
fossilized remains of dead animals and plants. Petroleum reserves exist in the Earth’s crust sandwiched
between layers of impermeable rocks and porous rocks. The petroleum is extracted from these reservoirs
drilling oil wells and sinking pipes into the reservoirs to pump the petroleum out.

Advantage – It can be easily converted to energy. It is relatively easy to extract. It can be easily transported
(pipelines, super-tankers).

Disadvantages – Products of combustion (the gases given off when burnt) are atmospheric pollutants and
greenhouse gases. Accidents during transport, extraction and refining can cause major environmental
pollution.

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2. NATURAL GAS

Source – Natural gas is a fossil fuel. Its formation is similar to that for petroleum; however the conversion
of the fossilized remains of the dead plants and animals to gas occurs at greater depths in the Earth’s crust
where the pressure and heat is higher. Natural gas is extracted in a similar way to petroleum by drilling
holes and sinking pipes into the gas reservoirs, the gas travels to its surface under its own pressure.

Advantage – It is relatively easy to extract. It requires little processing (is extracted in a ready to use form).
It is the cleanest of the fossil fuels.

Disadvantage – It produces greenhouse gases and atmospheric pollutants when burnt. Leakage in the pipe
can be dangerous if there is a source of fire nearby in the extraction process.

3. COAL

Source – Coal is a fossil fuel. Coal is formed from the fossilized remains of plants that once grew on the
earth. The action of the pressure and heat of the Earths crust over millions of years converts the fossilised
remains of these plants into coal. Coal is mined from coal seams in the Earth’s crust. Where the coal is
near the surface of the Earth, open cast mining is used but in areas where the seam is deep underground
mining is used to extract the coal.

Advantage – Of all the fossil fuels coal has the largest reserves. It is relatively easy and inexpensive to
extract.

Disadvantage – Open cast mining damages the landscape and ecosystems. The burning of coal produces
gases that are atmospheric pollutant and greenhouse gases. Due to the large amount of greenhouse gases
coal based power stations require expensive pollution control measures.

4. NUCLEAR

Source – The most common form of nuclear fuel is Uranium. Uranium is a common metal found in rocks
all over the world. However, the particular form of Uranium best suited as a nuclear fuel is Uranium – 235
and this is very rare. Uranium – 235 is extracted via mining and then processed to make it usable as a fuel.

Advantage – Small amounts of fuel produce a large amount of energy. It does not produce atmospheric
pollutants and greenhouse gases. It produces small amounts of waste products.

Disadvantage – Although small amounts of waste are produced, the waste is very dangerous. The waste
needs to be disposed of carefully and responsibly. The risk of a nuclear accident can have catastrophic
consequences

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