This deep dive covers Non-Renewable Energy Resources within Energy Resources for GCSE Physics. Revise Energy Resources in Energy for GCSE Physics with 15 exam-style questions and 12 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 2 of 13 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 2 of 13
Practice
15 questions
Recall
12 flashcards
⚡ Non-Renewable Energy Resources
Non-renewable resources are those that cannot be replenished on a human timescale — once used, they are gone. There are four main categories:
Fossil Fuels
Coal, oil, and natural gas formed over hundreds of millions of years from the compressed remains of dead organisms. They are burned to release chemical energy as heat, which drives turbines to generate electricity.
- Coal — cheapest, most polluting, releases most CO₂ per unit of energy
- Oil — mainly used for transport fuels; also for electricity generation in some countries
- Natural gas — cleanest fossil fuel; burns to produce CO₂ and H₂O; very responsive (can be turned on quickly)
Advantages of fossil fuels: reliable, high energy density, existing infrastructure, fast response to demand.
Disadvantages: release CO₂ and other pollutants, non-renewable, contribute to climate change, mining/extraction causes habitat damage.
Nuclear Power
Nuclear power stations use the energy released by nuclear fission (splitting uranium-235 or plutonium-239 atoms) to heat water, produce steam, and drive turbines. No fossil fuels are burned, so no CO₂ is released during generation.
Advantages: very high energy density, reliable, no CO₂ during operation, relatively small land use.
Disadvantages: produces radioactive waste (thousands of years storage required), high construction cost, risk of accidents, slow to build.
Quick Check: Give one advantage and one disadvantage of nuclear power compared to coal.
Advantage: nuclear does not release CO₂ during generation (reduces greenhouse gas emissions). Disadvantage: nuclear produces radioactive waste that must be safely stored for thousands of years (coal does not).