Questions
⦁ What is the term for resources which can be used repeatedly and are naturally replenished over time fast enough to keep up with consumption?
⦁ Name three types of nonrenewable resources.
⦁ Conventional oil and gas are extracted from porous rock bodies underground known as ___ rocks.
⦁ Source
⦁ Peat
⦁ Reservoir
⦁ Fracking
⦁ Name three types of renewable resources.
⦁ Photovoltaic cells utilize tiny strips of ___ that are joined together into modules.
⦁ Biomass
⦁ Semiconductors
⦁ Turbines
⦁ Uranium-235
Exercise 1: Energy Comsumption in the u.s.a.
Data Sheet
Table 1. Energy Usage by State in 2012
State Name BTU per Year Pounds of Coal per Year
Eastern State 1:
Eastern State 2:
Central State 1:
Central State 2:
Western State 1:
Western State 2:
Exercise 1 Post-Lab Questions
Part 1 Questions:
⦁ What are the sources of energy on Earth?
⦁ What are the societal impacts of access to energy resources?
Part 2 Questions:
⦁ What are some of the possible major sources of energy consumption in the states you selected?
⦁ Eastern States:
⦁ Central States:
⦁ Western States:
⦁ What are some things you could do to reduce your average daily energy usage?
Exercise 2: The Deepwater Horizon Incident
Data Sheet
Background Information Needed to Complete the Assignment:
⦁ Diameter of the Deepwater Horizon drill pipe: 20 inches
⦁ Average rate of oil moving through the pipe: 20 inches/second
⦁ Area of a circle: πr2 (pi times r squared), where π = 3.14159 and r = the radius of the circle (1/2 of the diameter)
⦁ Calculate the interior area of the drill pipe using the formula for the area of a circle. Your answer will be in square inches (in2). Show your work below and record your answer in Table 2.
⦁ Calculate the volume of oil escaping the pipe every second by multiplying the interior area of the drill pipe (you calculated above) by the average rate of oil moving through the pipe. Your answer will be in cubic inches per second (in3/s). Show your work below and record your answer in Table 2.
⦁ Calculate the volume of oil escaping the pipe each minute by converting your previous answer to cubic inches per minute (in3/min). Remember, there are 60 seconds in 1 minute. Show your work below and record your answer in Table 2.
⦁ Calculate the volume of oil escaping the pipe each hour by converting your previous answer to cubic inches per hour (in3/hr). Remember, there are 60 minutes in 1 hour. Show your work below and record your answer in Table 2.
⦁ Calculate the volume of oil escaping the pipe per day by converting your previous answer to cubic inches per day (in3/day). Remember, there are 24 hours in 1 day. Show your work and record your answer in Table 2.
⦁ Convert the volume of oil escaping the pipe per day from cubic inches per day (in3/day) to cubic feet per day (ft3/day). The conversion factor is 1 in3 = 0.000579 ft3. Show your work below and record your answer in Table 2.
⦁ Convert the volume of oil escaping the piper per day from cubic feet per day (ft3/day) to barrels per day (bbl/day). The conversion factor is 1 barrel = 5.61 ft3. Show your work below and record your answer in Table 2.
⦁ Find the total barrels of oil discharged during the incident by multiplying the barrels of oil escaping the pipe per day by the total length of time the pipe leaked (86 days). Show your work below and record your answer in Table 2.
⦁ Convert the total barrels of oil (bbl) discharged during the incident to total gallons of oil (gal) discharged during the incident. There are 42 gallons in 1 barrel of oil. Show your work below and record your answer in Table 2.
Table 2. Deepwater Horizon Flow Rate Calculations
Interior Area of the Drill Pipe (in2):
Volume of Oil Escaping the Pipe Each Second (in3/s):
Volume of Oil Escaping the Pipe Each Minute (in3/min):
Volume of Oil Escaping the Pipe Each Hour (in3/hr):
Volume of Oil Escaping the Pipe Per Day (in3/day):
Cubic feet of Oil Escaping the Pipe Per Day (ft3/day):
Barrels of Oil Escaping the Pipe Per Day (bbl/day):
Total Barrels of Oil Discharged (bbl):
Total Gallons of Oil Discharged (gal):
Exercise 2 Post-Lab Questions
⦁ After a lengthy series of court cases, The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana officially ruled that 4.0 million barrels of oil were released from the drill pipe during the incident. Was your calculation of the total barrels discharged in relative agreement with this ruling? Explain your reasoning.
⦁ Calculate the percent error of your determination of the total barrels released (compared to the official court ruling). The equation for percent error is below. Show your work.
⦁ The Deepwater Horizon blowout and spill was a human, economic, and environmental disaster. On a fundamental level, our demand for energy is driving the oil and gas industry into more complex and unknown territory, where the consequences of mistakes and accidents become far greater. By drilling in such areas, the energy industry has determined that the monetary rewards of drilling far outweigh the human and environmental risks. Do you agree with this assessment? Explain your reasoning.
