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Practise GCSE energy resources: decide if a resource is renewable, name a resource from its description, weigh up advantages and disadvantages, answer questions on electricity data and plan a 6-mark comparison. A new question every time, marked straight away, with the reason. Suits AQA, Edexcel, OCR and WJEC/Eduqas GCSE Physics and Combined Science.
In plain English: a renewable resource is one that is being (or can be) replaced as we use it, like wind, sunlight or plants. A non-renewable resource will run out, because it took millions of years to form (coal, oil and gas) or because there is only a fixed amount (nuclear fuel). In exams you nearly always have to say whether a resource is reliable and what it does to the environment.
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Key facts: every energy resource in one table
| Resource | Renewable? | Reliable? | CO₂ released when generating? | Main disadvantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coal | No | Yes | Yes | Carbon dioxide (climate change) and sulfur dioxide (acid rain) |
| Oil | No | Yes | Yes | Carbon dioxide; oil spills harm sea life |
| Natural gas | No | Yes, and starts up quickly | Yes | Carbon dioxide (less than coal) |
| Nuclear fuel | No | Yes | No | Radioactive waste; slow to start; costly to decommission |
| Biofuel | Yes | Yes, it can be stored | Yes, but thought of as carbon neutral | Land used for crops instead of food; forests cleared |
| Wind | Yes | No | No | Only works when windy; seen as spoiling the view; noise |
| Solar | Yes | No | No | Nothing at night, less when cloudy |
| Hydroelectricity | Yes | Yes, and starts up quickly | No | Dam floods a valley and destroys habitats |
| Geothermal | Yes | Yes | Very little | Only possible in a few places, such as volcanic areas |
| Tides | Yes | Yes, tides are predictable | No | Barrage changes estuary habitats; few suitable sites |
| Water waves | Yes | No | No | Depends on the waves; can affect habitats and shipping |
The three main uses of energy resources are transport, electricity generation and heating.