Scribd
Upload
6 views3 pages

Power Production and Climate Quiz Insights

The document is a quiz on power production and climate change that contains two questions. The first question asks about thermal radiation, black body radiation, calculating peak wavelength, and energy transfers between objects at different temperatures. The second question provides information about a pumped storage hydroelectric system and asks about specific energy, gravitational potential energy decreases, system efficiency, and how operators can still make a profit after refilling the upper lake.

Uploaded by

Peter Hatfield
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
6 views3 pages

Power Production and Climate Quiz Insights

The document is a quiz on power production and climate change that contains two questions. The first question asks about thermal radiation, black body radiation, calculating peak wavelength, and energy transfers between objects at different temperatures. The second question provides information about a pumped storage hydroelectric system and asks about specific energy, gravitational potential energy decreases, system efficiency, and how operators can still make a profit after refilling the upper lake.

Uploaded by

Peter Hatfield
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

NAME: IB 12

DATE:

QUIZ: Power Production and Climate

1. An ice sample is moved to a laboratory for analysis. The temperature of the sample is -20˚C.

(i) State what is meant by thermal radiation [1]

(ii) Discuss how the frequency of the radiation emitted by a black body can be used to estimate
the temperature of the body[2]

(iii) Calculate the peak wavelength in the intensity of the radiation emitted by the ice sample. [2]

(iv) The temperature in the laboratory is higher than the temperature of the ice sample.
Describe one other energy transfer that occurs between the ice sample and the laboratory.[2]

(v) Derive the units of intensity in terms of fundamental SI units. [2]


2. In a pumped storage hydroelectric system, water is stored in a dam of depth 34  m.

The water leaving the upper lake descends a vertical distance of 110 m and turns the turbine of
a generator before exiting into the lower lake.

(a) Water flows out of the upper lake at a rate of 1.2 × 10 5 m 3 per minute. The density of
water is 1.0 ×10 3 kg m -3.
(i) Estimate the specific energy of water in this storage system, giving an
appropriate unit for your answer. [2]

(ii) Show that the average rate at which the gravitational potential energy of the
water decreases is 2.5 GW. [3]

(iii) The storage system produces 1.8 GW of electrical power.


Determine the overall efficiency of the storage system. [1]

(b) After the upper lake is emptied it must be refilled with water from the lower lake and
this requires energy.
Suggest how the operators of this storage system can still make a profit. [1]

You might also like