GEO 105 E2 QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE 2026

GEO 105 E2 QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE 2026 Electricity - Answers The flow of electrons through a conductor used to power devices Electricity generation - Answers Conversion of mechanical, thermal, chemical, or nuclear energy into electrical energy Magnetic induction - Answers Production of electricity by moving a magnetic field relative to a conductor Faraday's Law - Answers The faster a magnetic field changes, the more electricity is generated Generator - Answers Device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy Turbine - Answers Device that converts kinetic energy (steam, wind, water) into mechanical energy Alternating current (AC) - Answers Current that reverses direction periodically and is used in power grids Direct current (DC) - Answers Current that flows in one direction and is used in batteries and solar panels before inversion Basic electricity generation process - Answers Energy source heats water to produce steam, steam spins a turbine, turbine spins a generator, generator produces electricity Steam turbine - Answers A turbine powered by high-pressure steam and used in most power plants Combined cycle - Answers A system that uses both a gas turbine and a steam turbine to increase efficiency Gas turbine - Answers A turbine that spins directly from hot combustion gases Waste heat recovery - Answers Capturing leftover heat from a gas turbine to produce steam for additional electricity Gasification - Answers Process of converting fuel into syngas (carbon monoxide and hydrogen) Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) - Answers System combining gasification with combined cycle power generation IGCC efficiency - Answers About 42% currently and up to about 60% in the future Traditional coal plant efficiency - Answers About 30-40% Transmission - Answers Movement of electricity from power plants to consumers Power grid - Answers Network of power plants, transmission lines, and distribution systems High - Answers voltage transmission - Method used to reduce energy loss over long distances Transformer - Answers Device that increases or decreases voltage Distribution - Answers Final delivery of electricity to homes and businesses Electricity storage limitation - Answers Electricity is difficult and expensive to store and must be used as it is generated Voltage (V) - Answers Electrical potential difference that drives current Current (Amps) - Answers Flow of electric charge Frequency (Hz) - Answers Number of cycles per second in alternating current US electricity standard - Answers 120/240 volts and 60 Hz Power (Watts) - Answers Rate at which energy is used Energy (kWh) - Answers Amount of energy used over time and what consumers are billed for Nuclear energy - Answers Energy released from atomic nuclei through fission or fusion Fission - Answers Splitting of a heavy nucleus such as uranium-235 to release energy Fusion - Answers Combining of light nuclei to release energy Chain reaction - Answers A self-sustaining series of nuclear reactions Control rods - Answers Devices that absorb neutrons to regulate nuclear reactions Moderator - Answers Material that slows neutrons to sustain fission Coolant - Answers Substance that transfers heat away from the reactor Nuclear power process - Answers Fission produces heat, heat creates steam, steam spins turbine, turbine spins generator, electricity is produced High energy density (nuclear) - Answers Very small amount of fuel produces a large amount of energy Low emissions (nuclear) - Answers No carbon dioxide released during operation Baseload power - Answers Reliable continuous energy supply Nuclear disadvantages - Answers High cost, radiation risk, accidents, waste disposal issues, and weapons risk Low - Answers level nuclear waste - Contaminated clothing, tools, and equipment High - Answers level nuclear waste - Spent nuclear fuel Spent fuel pools - Answers Water-filled pools used to cool and store used fuel rods Dry cask storage - Answers Sealed containers used for long-term nuclear waste storage Geologic repository - Answers Deep underground storage for radioactive waste Fusion temperature requirement - Answers Greater than 100 million degrees Celsius Fusion status - Answers Not yet commercially viable Fossil fuel impacts - Answers Air pollution, carbon dioxide emissions, and water contamination Greenhouse gases - Answers Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide Climate change - Answers Long-term warming of Earth due to greenhouse gases Ocean acidification - Answers Decrease in ocean pH due to dissolved carbon dioxide Sea level rise - Answers Increase in ocean levels due to melting ice and thermal expansion Thermal expansion - Answers Expansion of water as it warms Extreme weather - Answers Increased frequency of storms, droughts, and heatwaves Ecosystem disruption - Answers Changes in species distribution and biodiversity loss Maximum potential sea level rise - Answers Approximately 60 meters if all ice melts Renewable energy impacts - Answers Land use, wildlife disruption, mining requirements, and visual impacts Mitigation strategies - Answers Renewable energy, efficiency improvements, carbon capture, policies, and behavior changes Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) - Answers Technology that captures and stores or reuses carbon dioxide CCUS purpose - Answers Reduce greenhouse gas emissions Pre - Answers combustion capture - Removing carbon dioxide before fuel is burned Oxyfuel combustion - Answers Burning fuel in pure oxygen to produce a concentrated carbon dioxide stream Post - Answers combustion capture - Removing carbon dioxide from exhaust gases after combustion Geologic sequestration - Answers Storage of carbon dioxide underground in rock formations Cap rock - Answers Impermeable rock layer that prevents carbon dioxide from escaping Storage locations for CO₂ - Answers Depleted oil and gas fields, deep saline aquifers, and coal seams Carbon trapping mechanisms - Answers Structural, residual, solubility, and mineral trapping Solar energy - Answers Energy obtained from the sun Photovoltaics (PV) - Answers Conversion of sunlight directly into electricity Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) - Answers Use of mirrors to focus sunlight and produce heat for electricity Solar thermal energy - Answers Use of sunlight to heat water or air Passive solar design - Answers Use of building design to naturally heat or cool spaces Heliostats - Answers Mirrors that track the sun and reflect light to a central tower Parabolic trough - Answers Curved mirrors that focus sunlight onto a tube Linear Fresnel - Answers Flat mirrors that concentrate sunlight onto a receiver Parabolic dish - Answers Dish-shaped mirror that focuses sunlight to a single point CSP efficiency - Answers About 30-40%