Florida Atlantic University Hydropower Energy Descriptive Essay

Pick a method of generating electricity from the list below then answer the following questions. Although you are only answering questions for one energy, you will be responsible for understanding how all of these energies work for the quizzes and exams. You must post before reading other responses. Students who submit blank or nonsense posts to see other students’ posts first will receive an automatic 0.

1) List which energy you chose to cover.

2) Explain how that form of generating electricity rotates the turbines (solar energy should skip this and instead briefly explain how solar panels work). For example, if your renewable energy was biomass (essentially wood or other flammable natural materials), the biomass is burned to heat up water. When the water turns into steam it rises, creating and air current that rotates the turbines.

3) Find one diagram that shows how the renewable energy is used to create electricity that will accompany (1). You can either embed the image or link to one. The image must show how the turbines are rotated to get credit.

4) Say whether the energy you chose is renewable and explain why your assigned energy is/is not renewable. For example, returning to the biomass example, as long as plants grow on planet earth they can be burned to create electricity.

5) Describe two negative impacts on the environment of your assigned renewable energy. For example, returning to the biomass example. Getting wood to burn requires cutting down trees, and burning the wood emits carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas into the atmosphere.

6) Explain one limitation of using this energy, (e.g. can it only be used in certain locations?).

7) Do some research online to find a country that relies heavily on the energy method you chose. Explain how much of that country’s electricity is generated via this method.

Energies:

Tidal Energy (not wave or current energy)

Wind Energy

Solar Energy

Hydropower

Nuclear Fission

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