| A | B |
|---|
| renewable energy source | a resource that comes from a natural ongoing process that will continue into the forseeable future |
| thermal collector | use sulnlight to warm water, which is used to heat buildings |
| photovoltaic (solar) cell | cells found on calculators and satellites - they convert sunlight directly to electricity |
| semiconductor | any substance through which an electric current can pass with some effort |
| photons | light particles |
| electric current | a flow of electrons |
| concentrating solar power plant | huge mirrors that harness the sun's energy by reflecting on a small area |
| generate | to make power/electricity |
| biomass | energy used for cooking, lighting & heating. Examples are wood, animal droppings |
| hydroelectric | water power - uses water trapped by reservoirs and dams to generate energy |
| turbine | a wheel attached to the generator |
| geothermal | comes from hot rocks in the Earth's crust that hold temperatures up to 1,000 degrees celcius - water heated by the rocks turns to steam, which turns turbines |
| nuclear fission | splits the nuclei of atoms generating a lot of heat, creating steam and turning turbines |
| fossil fuel | gas, oil and coal. They come from remains of dead animal and plant matter. They are burned, turning water into steam, turning turbines. |
| consumption | how much we use of someting, we are using fossil fuels faster than they are being made/generated |
| alternative | other energy sources are being developed |
| fuel cell | convert hydrogen and oxygen into water producing electricity |
| generator | convert motion into electricity |
