AP Environmental Science Unit 6 Cheatsheet: Energy Resources and Consumption

• Uneven distribution: Developed countries use far more energy per capita than developing countries
• Fossil fuels dominate: Most widely used globally despite renewable alternatives
• Development correlation: As countries industrialize, fossil fuel reliance increases
• Demand drivers: Industrialization, population growth, economic activity
• Choice factors: Availability, price, government regulations determine which sources are used

Coal (by rank): Lignite → Bituminous → Anthracite. Heat, pressure, and burial depth determine type and energy content.

Natural gas: Cleanest fossil fuel; mostly methane.

Crude oil: Usually extracted by drilling underground reservoirs; it can also be produced from tar sands, a mixture of clay, sand, water, and bitumen. Refined into specialized fuels.

Wood & peat: Wood (firewood, charcoal) common in developing countries; peat is partially decomposed organic material.

1. Burn fuel to generate heat
2. Heat turns water into steam
3. Steam spins turbine
4. Turbine spins (mechanical energy) and drives a generator, which converts that motion into electricity

Cogeneration: Single fuel source produces both useful heat and electricity simultaneously, improving efficiency.

Extraction methods: Mining, drilling, hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Fracking risks: groundwater contamination, volatile organic compound release.