Which of the following is/are renewable source(s) of energy? 1. Fossil fuel 2. Biofuel 3. Uranium 4. Hydropower Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- A.2 only
- B.3 and 4
- C.1 and 3
- D.2 and 4
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, 2 and 4. Biofuel and hydropower are renewable because nature replaces them within a human lifetime, while fossil fuels and uranium are not.
Biofuels such as ethanol, biodiesel and biogas come from plants, crop waste and animal dung, which can be grown or produced again every season. Hydropower uses the energy of flowing water, which the water cycle keeps renewing through rain and snowmelt. Fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and natural gas formed over millions of years from buried plants and animals, so the stock we burn cannot be replaced. Uranium is a mineral mined from the earth in limited amounts; nuclear power is low-carbon, but its fuel is non-renewable.
A is wrong because it leaves out hydropower, which is also renewable. B is wrong because it includes uranium, a finite mineral. C is wrong because both fossil fuels and uranium are non-renewable.
Exam tip: renewable = solar, wind, hydro, tidal, geothermal, biomass; non-renewable = coal, oil, gas, uranium.
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