Year 9 Science · Unit 3 · Lesson 16
Foundation Worksheet
Learning Goals
1. Which item in each group is the odd one out? Circle it, and give your reason.
| # | Group | Odd one out, and why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Solar · Coal · Wind · Hydro | |
| 2 | Nuclear · Battery · Pumped hydro · Green hydrogen | |
| 3 | AEMO · NEM · Photovoltaic cell · Interconnector | |
| 4 | Coal · Oil · Bioenergy · Natural gas |
2. Name one renewable and one non-renewable source that is used to make electricity in Australia. For each one, name the resource it uses and say whether that resource will run out.
Match each term to its meaning
Write the letter of the matching meaning in the middle column. Each letter is used once.
| Term | Letter | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Renewable | A. A machine with blades that is spun by moving steam, water or air | |
| Non-renewable | B. A source that is replenished naturally on human timescales | |
| Generator | C. A carbon-rich fuel formed from the remains of plants and animals that lived long ago | |
| Turbine | D. Greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, released when electricity is generated | |
| Fossil fuel | E. A source that exists in a limited amount and cannot be replaced on human timescales | |
| Emissions | F. A device that changes kinetic energy into electrical energy |
Sort it: make, deliver or store?
Write each item in the correct box. Each box gets three items.
Makes electricity
Delivers electricity to homes
Stores energy for later
3. Fill in the table. Then name the form of energy that appears in the coal chain but not in the wind chain, and explain why the turbine can skip it.
| Machine | Forms of energy, in order |
|---|---|
| Coal-fired station | |
| Wind turbine |
Scenario: an island resort that runs on sun and diesel
A small island resort makes all of its own electricity and uses 240 kWh every day. By day, solar panels power the resort and charge a battery bank that runs it at night. A diesel generator makes up any shortfall. Table 1 shows five days in winter.
| Day | From the solar panels (kWh) | From the diesel generator (kWh) |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 180 | 60 |
| Tuesday | 170 | 70 |
| Wednesday | 60 | 180 |
| Thursday | 150 | 90 |
| Friday | 190 | 50 |
Source: sample values for this worksheet.
4. (a) Calculate the total electricity supplied by the solar panels and by the diesel generator over the five days. (b) Calculate the percentage of the resort’s electricity that came from a renewable source.
(a) Solar panels kWh
(a) Diesel generator kWh
(b) Renewable share %
5. On which day was the weather most likely heavily overcast? Use the data to explain your choice, and describe one change the resort could make to burn less diesel on days like that.
6. Solar panels and a diesel generator are two very different ways to make the resort’s electricity. Compare them: how each resource is replaced or used up, what each puts into the air, and how dependable each one is. Finish by explaining why this difference matters for Australia’s energy future.