ScienceEnergy and waves24 min★ difficulty

Fuels and energy resources

Every energy resource has upsides and downsides — the key difference is whether it will run out.

Part of your national curriculum

Physics: energy: Understand fuels and energy resources, including renewable and non-renewable resources

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Understand fuels and energy resources, including renewable and non-renewable resources

Key learning points

• Non-renewable resources
• Renewable resources
• Trade-offs

This lesson at a glance

24 minutes
17 parts to scroll through
3 quick checks
Marked quiz at the end
Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

energyresourcesrenewablenon-renewabletrade-offs

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Part 1 of 17 · Discover6%

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Part 1 of 17

Visual introduction

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Fuels and energy resources

Every energy resource has upsides and downsides — the key difference is whether it will run out.

In a nutshell

Understand fuels and energy resources, including renewable and non-renewable resources

Learning cycle

Part 2 of 17

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Part 1 · Non-renewable resources

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

Explore the idea

Part 3 of 17

Learn

Non-renewable resources

Fossil fuels — coal, oil and natural gas — formed over millions of years from dead organisms, and nuclear fuel (uranium) are non-renewable: they exist in limited amounts and cannot be replaced within a human lifetime once used.

Reset break

Part 4 of 17

Pause

That's sitting 1 of 4 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Explore the idea

Part 5 of 17

Learn

Renewable resources

Renewable resources are replenished naturally and will not run out on human timescales: examples include solar, wind, hydroelectric, tidal, geothermal and biomass. Many produce electricity without directly releasing carbon dioxide during operation.

Quick check

Part 6 of 17

Quick check

Which of these is a non-renewable energy resource?

Give me a hint

Quick check

Part 7 of 17

Quick check

What is a common disadvantage of wind and solar power?

Give me a hint

Reset break

Part 8 of 17

Pause

That's sitting 2 of 4 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Learning cycle

Part 9 of 17

Learning cycle 2 of 2

Part 2 · Trade-offs

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

Explore the idea

Part 10 of 17

Learn

Trade-offs

Fossil fuels are reliable and energy-dense but release carbon dioxide and are running out. Renewables reduce carbon emissions but some, like wind and solar, are intermittent — dependent on weather — and can have high set-up costs or land use impacts.

Quick check

Part 11 of 17

Quick check

Why are fossil fuels described as non-renewable?

Give me a hint

Reset break

Part 12 of 17

Pause

That's sitting 3 of 4 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now

Challenge round

Part 13 of 17

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

Challenge round

Part 14 of 17

Game · Fill the gaps

Finish the sentences

Choose the word that belongs in each gap.

Renewable ____ are replenished naturally and will not run out on human timescales: examples include solar, wind, hydroelectric, tidal, geothermal and biomass.

Fossil fuels are reliable and ____-dense but release carbon dioxide and are running out.

Challenge round

Part 15 of 17

Game · Recall cards

Which of these is a non-renewable energy resource?

Card 1 of 4

Mastery quiz

Part 16 of 17

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Fuels and energy resources

4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

1. Which of these is a non-renewable energy resource?
2. What is a common disadvantage of wind and solar power?
3. Why are fossil fuels described as non-renewable?
4. Which is non-renewable?

Lesson round-up

Part 17 of 17

Lesson round-up

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Understand fuels and energy resources, including renewable and non-renewable resources