Fuels and energy resources
Every energy resource involves trade-offs between reliability, cost and environmental impact. Evaluating them fairly means comparing the same criteria for each.
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
- • Renewable and non-renewable
- • Reliability
- • Environmental impacts
- • Evaluating fairly
This lesson at a glance
- 28 minutes
- 21 parts to scroll through
- 4 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 21
Visual introductionPicture this
Fuels and energy resources
Every energy resource involves trade-offs between reliability, cost and environmental impact. Evaluating them fairly means comparing the same criteria for each.
In a nutshell
Understand fuels and energy resources, including renewable and non-renewable resources
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 21
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · Renewable and non-renewable
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 21
Learn
Renewable and non-renewable
Non-renewable resources, coal, oil, gas and nuclear fuel, are used faster than they form. Renewable resources, wind, solar, hydroelectric, tidal, wave, geothermal and biomass, are replenished naturally within a human lifetime. Renewable is not the same as carbon-free, and nuclear is low-carbon but not renewable.
Reset break
Part 4 of 21
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 5 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.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 21
Learn
Reliability
Fossil fuel and nuclear stations can supply power on demand, while wind and solar output depends on the weather and time of day. Tidal power is intermittent but highly predictable, and hydroelectric can respond within minutes, which makes it valuable for meeting sudden peaks in demand.
Quick check
Part 6 of 21
Quick check
Part 7 of 21
Reset break
Part 8 of 21
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 5 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.
Learning cycle
Part 9 of 21
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Environmental impacts
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 10 of 21
Learn
Environmental impacts
Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, which increases the greenhouse effect, and sulfur dioxide, which contributes to acid rain. Nuclear power produces very little carbon dioxide but creates radioactive waste requiring long-term storage. Wind farms and reservoirs have visual and habitat impacts and require land.
Explore the idea
Part 11 of 21
Learn
Evaluating fairly
A strong evaluation compares resources on the same criteria: reliability, carbon emissions, set-up and running costs, and local impacts, then reaches a justified conclusion. Most electricity systems use a mix, because no single resource performs best on every criterion.
Reset break
Part 12 of 21
Pause
That's sitting 3 of 5 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.
Quick check
Part 13 of 21
Quick check
Part 14 of 21
Explore the idea
Part 15 of 21
Worked example
Worked answer: evaluate wind power for a coastal region (4 marks)
Wind is renewable and produces no carbon dioxide while operating, so it reduces emissions compared with a gas station (1). Running costs are low once turbines are built, though the initial cost is high (1). However, output depends on wind speed, so supply is unreliable and needs backup or storage (1). On balance wind is well suited to a windy coastal region as part of a mix, but it cannot supply the whole demand on its own (1).
Reset break
Part 16 of 21
Pause
That's sitting 4 of 5 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.
Challenge round
Part 17 of 21
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 18 of 21
Game · Fill the gaps
Finish the sentences
Choose the word that belongs in each gap.
Non-renewable ____, coal, oil, gas and nuclear fuel, are used faster than they form.
____ resources, wind, solar, hydroelectric, tidal, wave, geothermal and biomass, are replenished naturally within a human lifetime.
A strong evaluation compares resources on the same criteria: ____, carbon emissions, set-up and running costs, and local impacts, then reaches a justified conclusion.
Challenge round
Part 19 of 21
Game · Recall cards
Which of these is a non-renewable energy resource?
Card 1 of 4
Mastery quiz
Part 20 of 21
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 21 of 21
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
Quiz score
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Ask LunaPart 1 of 21 · Watch & discover
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Understand fuels and energy resources, including renewable and non-renewable resources