Energy resources

Core concepts and learning points for this section:

Syllabus Points

1.7.3.1 Describe how useful energy may be obtained, or electrical power generated, from: (a) chemical energy stored in fossil fuels (b) chemical energy stored in biofuels (c) water, including the energy stored in waves, in tides and in water behind hydroelectric dams (d) geothermal resources (e) nuclear fuel (f) light from the Sun to generate electrical power (solar cells) (g) infrared and other electromagnetic waves from the Sun to heat water (solar panels) and be the source of wind energy including references to a boiler, turbine and generator where they are used
1.7.3.2 Describe advantages and disadvantages of each method in terms of renewability, availability, reliability, scale and environmental impact
1.7.3.3 Understand, qualitatively, the concept of efficiency of energy transfer

1.7.3.4 Know that radiation from the Sun is the main source of energy for all our energy resources except geothermal, nuclear and tidal
1.7.3.5 Know that energy is released by nuclear fusion in the Sun
1.7.3.6 Know that research is being carried out to investigate how energy released by nuclear fusion can be used to produce electrical energy on a large scale
1.7.3.7 Define efficiency as: (a) (useful energy output) (%) efficiency = ( × 100%) (total energy input) (b) (useful power output) (%) efficiency = ( × 100%) (total power input) recall and use these equations www.cambridgeinternational.org/igcse 17 Subject content