Natural Resources Study Guide – Flashcards
38 test answers
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answers 38question
Flow
answer
The rate at which new material is added to or removed from a stock.
Unlock the answer
question
Net Flow
answer
The inflow minus outflow from a stock, which determines whether the stock grows, shrinks, or remains constant.
Unlock the answer
question
Btu
answer
British Thermal Unit; a unit of heat equal to the amount of heat required to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit at one atmosphere pressure.
Unlock the answer
question
Lignite
answer
A geologically young coal which has the lowest carbon content, 25-35 percent, and a heat value ranging between 4,000 and 8,300 BTUs-per-pound. Sometimes called brown coal, it is mainly used for electric power generation.
Unlock the answer
question
Sub-bituminous
answer
Coal with 35-45 percent carbon content and a heat value between 8,300 and 13,000 BTUs-per-pound. Reserves are located mainly in a half-dozen Western states and Alaska. Although its heat value is lower, this coal generally has a lower sulfur content than other types, which makes it attractive for use because it is cleaner burning.
Unlock the answer
question
Bituminous
answer
The most plentiful form of coal in the United States, used primarily to generate electricity and make coke for the steel industry; has a carbon content ranging from 45 to 86 percent carbon and a heat value of 10,500 to 15,500 BTUs-per-pound.
Unlock the answer
question
Anthracite
answer
Coal with the highest carbon content, between 86 and 98 percent, and a heat value of nearly 15,000 BTUs-per-pound.
Unlock the answer
question
Geothermal Gradient
answer
The gradual increase in temperature with depth in the crust.
Unlock the answer
question
Hydrocarbons
answer
Chemical compounds containing carbon and hydrogen as the principal elements. Oil and natural gas are examples.
Unlock the answer
question
Source Rock
answer
A rock rich in organic matter which, if heated sufficiently, will generate oil or gas.
Unlock the answer
question
Hydrocarbon System
answer
The combination of a source rock, reservoir, trap, and cap rock.
Unlock the answer
question
Oil Reservoir
answer
A supply of oil underground, formed when oil and gas become trapped beneath an impermeable rock layer.
Unlock the answer
question
Cap Rock
answer
A layer of impermeable rock that stops gas and oil from escaping from a reservoir.
Unlock the answer
question
Tar Sand
answer
Deposit of a mixture of clay, sand, water, and varying amounts of a tar-like heavy oil known as bitumen. Bitumen can be extracted from tar sand by heating, and is then purified and upgraded to synthetic crude oil.
Unlock the answer
question
Oil Shale
answer
A soft, fine-grained sedimentary rock from which oil and natural gas can be obtained by heating.
Unlock the answer
question
Natural Gas
answer
A fossil fuel in the gaseous state.
Unlock the answer
question
Methane
answer
A colorless odorless gas used as a fuel, with the chemical formula CH?.
Unlock the answer
question
Syngas
answer
Synthetic gas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, obtained by coal gasification.
Unlock the answer
question
Gasification
answer
The heating and partial combustion of coal to release gases such as methane and carbon monoxide; after pollutants are washed out, these gases become efficient, clean-burning fuel.
Unlock the answer
question
Ore
answer
A mineral or rock that contains a useful substance that can be mined for profit.
Unlock the answer
question
Bauxite
answer
A clay-like mineral which is the chief ore of aluminum.
Unlock the answer
question
What percentage of our electricity in Alabama is generated using coal?
answer
Approximately 27 %
Unlock the answer
question
What does the term hydrocarbon mean?
answer
Substances containing carbon and hydrogen. Examples include coal, oil, natural gas.
Unlock the answer
question
Products from a Barrel of Crude Oil.
answer
Some of the products from a Barrel of crude oil...for a longer list, see... http://www.ranken-energy.com/Products%20from%20Petroleum.htm
Unlock the answer
question
What is a Fossil Fuel? Why are they called fossil?
answer
Coal, Oil, and Natural Gas are examples of fossil fuels. They are called FOSSIL fuels because they form through the decay of once living organisms.
Unlock the answer
question
Why is coal so commonly used as a fuel to generate electricity?
answer
...
Unlock the answer
question
What are the downsides of using coal as a primary energy source?
answer
...
Unlock the answer
question
What usually happens as a natural resource becomes scarce?
answer
...
Unlock the answer
question
Describe one method of making "clean coal".
answer
...
Unlock the answer
question
Approximately how many aluminum cans are used in the US each day?
answer
360 million
Unlock the answer
question
What are the advantages of recycling metals such as aluminum?
answer
...
Unlock the answer
question
Compare and contrast renewable and non-renewable resources and give examples of each.
answer
...
Unlock the answer
question
What is meant by the term "unconventional fossil fuel"? List one example...
answer
...
Unlock the answer
question
What usually has to happen for an alternative resource to be commonly used.
answer
...
Unlock the answer
