4.

1 – Electrical Energy Sources and Alternatives

JIGSAW
1.Using Heat To Generate Electricity
2. Using Water Power To Generate Electricity
3. Tides
4. Winds
5. Sunlight
6. Batteries
 From heat to electricity
• about 65% of the electricity in the world is generated by
burning oil, coal or natural gas
• these are called fossil fuels because they formed by the
decomposition of ancient plants and animals
 Heat (Fossil Fuels)
• Coal is powdered
• Blown into a combustion chamber
• Burned to release heat
• This heat is used to turn water into steam
• Steam drives a turbine
• Turbine rotates electromagnetic coils
• Generates electricity!

• can also get energy to turn water into steam from geothermal
energy, thermonuclear generation, or burning biomass
Fun fact!
• Saskatchewan is the worlds largest uranium producing region!
• There are several uranium mining operations throughout
Saskatchewan.
• Even though this is true, Saskatchewan does not currently use
nuclear energy to produce electrical energy
• It was reported in October (2019) that Premier Scott Moe
might be changing the conversation around nuclear energy!
• Keep in mind Chernobyl… Fukushima Daiichi…
 Using Water Power To Generate Electricity

• Hydro-electric power plants produce 20% of the worlds electricity

• Capture energy of falling water (waterfall or dam)
• Falling water flows through a penstock to a turbine
• It spins the turbine
• Turbine is connected to generator
• Generates electricity
Tides
• moving water can power turbines that run generators
• eg) Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia

Wind
• moving air (wind) can turn turbines that run generators
• eg) Pincher Creek, AB
Sunlight
• solar energy is converted
into electrical energy by
silicon-based solar cells
Renewable vs Non-Renewable

Read pg. 269

Fill in the comparison chart

 Renewable
renewable resources are those that
can be replaced in a short period of
time
eg) solar energy, wind energy
Non-Renewable
nonrenewable resources cannot
be replaced as they are used up
eg) fossil fuels, uranium

https://ed.ted.com/lessons/can-100-renewable-energy-power-the-world-
federico-rosei-and-renzo-rosei
4.2 – Electricity and The Environment

• Air Pollution
• burning fossil fuels releases pollutants
• coal-burning power plants release small amounts of fly ash
into the atmosphere which contains mercury
• SOx, NOx, and CO2 released through combustion lead to acid
rain formation
• CO2 also causes the enhanced greenhouse effect
 Other effects

• strip mining of coal results in a disruption of the

environment
• oil and gas wells may release deadly gases
• steam turbines release warm water into rivers and lakes,
which can harm organisms
• nuclear reactors produce radioactive wastes
• hydroelectric dams flood river valleys
• wind farms make large areas of land not useable for
anything else
• building solar cells requires harmful chemicals
• tidal generators displace marine organisms
 Conservation
• higher demand for energy means higher consumption of
energy resources
• lowering energy use conserves nonrenewable resources
• conserving energy means using resources at a rate that can be
maintained indefinitely
• called sustainability
• personal decisions by all people influence sustainability
Brainstorm a list of conservation and sustainability
efforts
4.3 – Electrical Technology and Society
 BRAINSTORM

Benefits and Drawbacks of Electrical Technologies

 Benefits
• improved standard of living
• can complete tasks faster, giving us more free time

Drawbacks
• technology can be expensive
• sustainability is threatened
• old discarded technologies adds to solid waste
 Computers
• Different technologies store and transmit computer information
• E.g.) CD’s , hard drives, microcircuits
• “Hackers” can break into computer systems
• “Viruses” exist and slow down computers
• Internet has a lot of information…. NOT ALWAYS CORRECT
• Can get “information overload” from the amount of material that is
available