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Remember that energy is needed for anything to happen.
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Energy is stored in fuels.
Fossil fuels are found underground. Coal, crude oil and natural
gas are fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are formed from the remains of plants and
animals. It has taken millions of years for the plants and animals to become
coal, crude oil and natural gas.
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Most electricity is generated in power stations.
Most electricity is generated by burning coal, crude oil or natural gas. In
power stations fossil fuels are burnt to release the energy stored in them. The
heat from the burning of these fuels heats up water. The water gets very hot
and becomes steam. The steam is under great pressure and makes turbines turn, the turbines then turn massive generators. When these
generators are turned electricity is produced.
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Coal, crude oil and natural gas will eventually run
out. We have about 200 years of coal, 20 years of crude oil and about 50 years
of natural gas left. These fuels will run out because they have taken millions
of years to form and we are using them up much faster than they can be
reformed. These fuels are classed as non-renewable
(they won’t be renewed). We call crude oil, coal and natural gas non-renewable
fuels because they are being used up far quicker than new, coal oil and natural
gas can be formed so will eventually run out.
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QUESTIONS:
copy and answer these questions in your book.
1.
What is stored in fuels?
2. Which
fuels provide most of the energy for power stations?
3. What
makes the water in the power stations become steam?
4. Why
are fossil fuels non-renewable fuels?
5. Why
does the fact that fossil fuels are non-renewable effect the generation of
electricity?
6. Name
three fuels that are used to heat homes.
1.
Which two substances are produced when fuels are burnt?
2.
What substance is used to test for carbon-dioxide gas?
3. What three
things are needed for combustion (burning) to happen?
4. Which is the
main gas in the air ?
5. There are two
types of reaction, exothermic and endothermic. Which type of reaction do
we have when we burn fuels ?