Power Stations

Fossil Fuels.

(Links in pink will take you to the GCSE Chemistry site).

Most of the electricity generated in the world today
comes from power stations which burn fossil fuels.
We can reduce our energy use in a number of ways. 

Fossil fuels are coal, oil and natural gas.
The original source of the energy is the Sun.
Plants use sunlight energy for photosynthesis.
Coal is made from plant remains.
Oil and natural gas are made from both plant and animal remains.
Animals received their energy from eating plants.

Of the three fossil fuels, natural gas has the shortest start-up time
which means that a gas fired power station can quickly provide extra electricity
when there is an increase in demand (for example in the evening
when people use electricity for cooking, heating and lighting).
Natural gas causes the least pollution of the three fossil fuels (see below).

Advantages of fossil fuels.

1.  They give a large amount of energy from a small amount of fuel.

2. They are readily available.
If you need more energy, you just burn more fuel.

3.  They are relatively cheap.


Disadvantages.

1.  They are non-renewable.
Once you burn them, they are gone.

2.  They cause pollution.
Burning a fossil fuel can produce carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and smoke.
Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and causes global warming.
Sulfur dioxide causes acid rain.

3.  They use water as a coolant and may return warm water into a river.
This decreases the amount of dissolved oxygen in the river.

back   Headings   Electromagnetism   Induced Current   Search   Questions   next

gcsescience.com              Contents             Index              Quizzes             gcsescience.com

Copyright © 2011 Dr. Colin France. All Rights Reserved.