Terminology

active solar energy system = a device that harnesses radiant energy from the Sun and converts it into a more useful form of energy (pg. 244)

alternative energy source = a source of energy that is not as common as conventional sources; alternative sources tend to be renewableand have few negative impacts on the environment (pg. 242)

B

biofuel = a liquid fuel, such as ethanol, produced from plant and animal material (pg. 248)

C

conduction = the transfer of thermal energy through a substance, or between substances in contact, by the collision of particles (pg. 207)

convection = the transfer of thermal energy from one part of a fluid to another by a circulating current of faster-moving and slower-moving particles (pg. 210)

conventional energy source = a source of energy that has been widely used for many years (pg. 234)

E

Earth's energy balance = the balance between the energy lost by Earth into space and the energy gained by solar radiation trapped in Earth's atmosphere (pg. 238)

electric generator = a machine with moving parts that produce electricity when they spin (pg. 75)

F

fossil fuels = concentrated sources fo chemical energy such as coal, oil, and natural gas that were formed dee p in the Earth's structure over millions of years from decayed and compressed plant and animal material (pg. 236)

friction = a force produced when objects rub against each other (pg. 231)

G

geothermal energy = energy contained below the Earth's surface (pg. 208)

global warming = an increase in Earth's global temperature due to changes in the atmosphere that enhance the greenhouse effect (pg. 240)

greenhouse effect = a rise in temperature resulting from certain gases in the lower atmosphere trapping radiant energy and warming Earth's surface (pg. 238)

greenhouse gases = gases such as water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxides that trap energy in Earth's atmosphere (pg. 238)

H

heat = the transfer of energy from the particles of a warmer object to the particles of a cooler object (pg. 186)

K

kinetic energy = energy that all moving objects possess; a particle has more kinetic energy when moving faster and less kinetic energy when moving slower (pg. 187)

N

non-renewable energy resource = a source of energy that could eventually be used up (pg. 235)

nuclear energy = the energy released when the particles of pure substances (like uranium) split apart (pg. 75)

P

particle theory of matter = a theory that explains what matter is made of, and how it behaves (pg. 185)

passive solar heating = heating caused by the passage of radiant energy through windows of a building (pg. 244)

R

radiant energy = energy that travels in the form of electromagnetic waves through empty space; includes visible light, ultraviolet rays, and infrared rays (pg. 214)

radiation = the transfer of radiant energy by means of electromagnetic waves (pg. 214)

radioactive = a term used to describe pure substances whose particles naturally split into smaller particles, releasing energy as they break apart (pg. 75)

renewable energy resource = a source of energy that can be used indefinitely, without running out (pg. 234)

S

solar energy = radiant energy produced at the Sun's outer surface and radiated out into space (pg. 230)

T

temperature = a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles of a substance (pg. 187)

thermal contraction = a decrease in the volume of a substance caused by cooling (pg. 189)

thermal energy = the total kinetic energy and energy of attraction of all the particles of a material (pg. 188)

thermal expansion = an increase in the volume of a substance caused by heating (pg. 189)

Created by:
Ian Fischer
St. Joseph High School
Ottawa, Canada