Renewable and Non-Renewable Energy Sources — Answers
Answer sheet with model answers and success criteria for the Year 6 energy, light, sound & electricity worksheet.
Success TutoringWorksheetsAnswer sheetYear 6 · Science · Energy, Light, Sound & ElectricityRenewable and Non-Renewable Energy Sources — Answers
Part A: Two kinds of energy sources
Read the passage. Then circle the best answer.
Most of the electricity we use is made in power stations. Many power stations burn fuel to boil water. The steam spins a turbine, which turns a generator to make electricity.
Non-renewable energy sources will run out because they take millions of years to form. Fossil fuels — coal, oil and natural gas — formed from the remains of ancient plants and animals. Burning them releases carbon dioxide, which adds to climate change.
Renewable energy sources are replaced naturally and will not run out. They include solar (light from the Sun), wind, hydro (moving water, often from a dam), geothermal (heat from deep inside the Earth) and tidal energy.
Wind and moving water can spin turbines directly, so no fuel needs to be burned.
- Acoal
- Bwind
- Cnatural gas
- Doil
Answer: wind
Wind will keep blowing and cannot be used up, so it is renewable. Coal, gas and oil are fossil fuels and are non-renewable.
- AThey are found underground.
- BThey take millions of years to form, so we use them much faster than they are made.
- CThey can only be used at night.
- DThey do not release any energy.
Answer: They take millions of years to form, so we use them much faster than they are made.
Fossil fuels formed from the remains of plants and animals over millions of years. Once we burn them, they are gone.
- Awind
- Bmoving water
- Clight from the Sun
- Dheat from burning coal
Answer: light from the Sun
Solar panels change light energy from the Sun directly into electrical energy.
- Aoxygen
- Bcarbon dioxide
- Chelium
- Dnitrogen
Answer: carbon dioxide
Burning coal, oil and gas releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that traps heat in the atmosphere.
Part B: How is the electricity made?
- solar panel
- wind turbine
- hydro power station
- coal power station
- geothermal power station
- burning fuel boils water to make steam
- water flowing from a dam spins a turbine
- changes sunlight into electricity
- heat from deep underground makes steam
- moving air spins the blades
Answer: solar panel → changes sunlight into electricity; wind turbine → moving air spins the blades; hydro power station → water flowing from a dam spins a turbine; coal power station → burning fuel boils water to make steam; geothermal power station → heat from deep underground makes steam
Answer: fossil
Answer: renewable
Part C: True or false?
Write True or False.
Answer: True
More sunlight reaching the panels means more electrical energy is produced.
Answer: False
Turbines need moving air to turn. This is a disadvantage of wind power, so it is often combined with other sources.
Answer: True
Burning changes coal into gases and ash, and new coal takes millions of years to form.
Answer: False
They are much cleaner to run, but building panels, turbines and dams still uses materials and can change habitats.
Part D: Interpreting data
Use the data to answer the questions.
Where does Rivertown's electricity come from?
Coal: 40%
Natural gas: 20%
Wind: 15%
Solar: 15%
Hydro (moving water): 10%
Answer: 40% (wind 15% + solar 15% + hydro 10% = 40%).
Answer: 60% (coal 40% + natural gas 20% = 60%, or 100% − 40%).
Answer: Coal (40%). It is non-renewable.
Model answer: Rivertown could build more wind turbines on windy hills. An advantage is that wind will not run out and turbines release no carbon dioxide while working; a challenge is that they do not make electricity when the wind stops. It could also put solar panels on the roofs of homes and schools. An advantage is that sunlight is free and renewable; a challenge is that panels make no electricity at night, so the town would need batteries or another source to store or supply energy.
Success criteria:
- Suggests two sensible renewable changes
- Gives a correct advantage for each
- Gives a realistic challenge for each (e.g. weather, night, cost, space)
Marking tips
- Give credit for correct method even when the final answer slips — the working shows where the thinking went right.
- For open-ended tasks, use the success criteria as a checklist rather than looking for one "right" answer.
- Celebrate what went well first, then pick one thing to work on next.
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