Comparing Energy Sources

This lesson examines how different energy sources compare in terms of efficiency, environmental impact, cost, and practicality. Understanding how to evaluate energy sources is an important skill for the AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy (8464) specification.

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Types of Energy Sources

Energy sources can be classified as renewable or non-renewable:

Category	Definition	Examples
Non-renewable	Will eventually run out; cannot be replaced in a human lifetime	Fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas), nuclear fuel (uranium)
Renewable	Can be replenished at the same rate or faster than they are used	Solar, wind, hydroelectric, tidal, geothermal, biomass/biofuels

graph TD
    A["Energy Sources"] --> B["Non-Renewable"]
    A --> C["Renewable"]
    B --> D["Coal"]
    B --> E["Oil"]
    B --> F["Natural Gas"]
    B --> G["Nuclear"]
    C --> H["Solar"]
    C --> I["Wind"]
    C --> J["Hydroelectric"]
    C --> K["Tidal"]
    C --> L["Geothermal"]
    C --> M["Biomass / Biofuels"]

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Fossil Fuels

Fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) are formed from the remains of ancient organisms over millions of years. They are currently the world's primary energy source.

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