Energy resources is the most descriptive subtopic in Motion, Forces and Energy: almost no calculations, lots of structured writing. It is Core content, and it feeds the longer comparison questions on Papers 3 and 4. Examiners reward specific advantages and disadvantages, not vague statements like “solar is good for the environment”.
Which energy resources does the 0625 syllabus cover?
You need fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas), nuclear fuel, biofuels, hydroelectric, solar, wind, geothermal, tidal and wave energy. Classify each as renewable or non-renewable, and know whether the Sun is its original source.
| Resource | Renewable? | Energy from the Sun? |
|---|---|---|
| Coal, oil, natural gas | No | Yes (ancient plants/organisms) |
| Nuclear (uranium) | No | No |
| Biofuels | Yes | Yes (photosynthesis) |
| Hydroelectric | Yes | Yes (Sun drives the water cycle) |
| Solar | Yes | Yes (directly) |
| Wind and waves | Yes | Yes (Sun heats the atmosphere) |
| Geothermal | Yes | No (radioactive decay in the Earth) |
| Tidal | Yes | No (mainly the Moon’s gravity) |
The Sun is the source of energy for all our resources except nuclear, geothermal and tidal. This is a one-mark fact that appears repeatedly. The Sun itself releases energy by nuclear fusion of hydrogen, not by burning. In most power stations, the chain is the same: heat water → steam turns a turbine → turbine turns a generator.
How do I compare energy resources in an exam answer?
Compare on four axes: renewability, reliability, environmental impact and output scale (plus cost). Be concrete. Wind is renewable and fuel-free but unreliable: no wind, no output. Coal is reliable and high-output but releases carbon dioxide (greenhouse effect) and sulfur dioxide. Nuclear emits no carbon dioxide in operation but produces radioactive waste that stays hazardous for thousands of years. Hydroelectric is reliable and can start quickly, but dams flood habitats. Malaysia’s Bakun Dam in Sarawak, one of Southeast Asia’s largest at about 2,400 MW, displaced communities and flooded roughly 700 km² of rainforest. One paired advantage-plus-disadvantage beats three vague claims.
Worked Exam Question
A village council must choose between a small hydroelectric scheme and a diesel (fossil fuel) generator.
(a) State one advantage and one disadvantage of the hydroelectric scheme compared with the diesel generator. [2] (b) Explain why hydroelectric power is described as renewable. [2] (c) State the original source of the energy transferred by the hydroelectric scheme. [1]
Solution. (a) Advantage: no fuel cost / no carbon dioxide released during operation. Disadvantage: needs a dam or steady river flow, flooding land / output falls in drought. (b) The water cycle continually refills the reservoir. The resource is replenished as fast as it is used, so it will not run out. (c) The Sun (it drives evaporation in the water cycle).
Mark scheme
- B1: valid advantage (no fuel / no CO₂ / low running cost).
- B1: valid disadvantage (habitat flooding / drought-dependent / high build cost).
- B1: replenished naturally / will not run out.
- B1: link to the water cycle driven by the Sun.
- B1: the Sun.
Common Mistakes
- Calling nuclear power renewable, or “clean” without qualification. Uranium is finite. Fix: non-renewable, no CO₂ in operation, but radioactive waste.
- Saying solar panels work “from heat”. 0625 distinguishes solar cells (light → electrical) from solar heaters (infrared → internal store). Fix: name the device.
- Claiming the Sun powers everything. Fix: memorise the three exceptions (nuclear, geothermal, tidal).
- Vague environmental points. “Bad for the environment” earns nothing. Fix: name the pollutant or effect, e.g. CO₂ → enhanced greenhouse effect.
- Confusing reliable with renewable. Wind is renewable but not reliable. Fix: treat them as separate marking points.
Exam Technique Tip
For any compare-resources question, write in advantage-disadvantage pairs and tie each point to the scenario given. If the question says “remote village”, reliability and fuel delivery beat generic climate points. Mark schemes list specific creditable points; scenario-matched answers hit them, generic essays miss. Aim for one clear sentence per mark: a 4-mark question needs four distinct points, not two repeated ones.
How This Is Examined
Energy resources appears on Papers 1 and 2 as classification MCQs (renewable or not, Sun-sourced or not) and on Papers 3 and 4 as 2-6 mark structured comparisons like the worked example. Core and Extended cover the same content; Extended questions simply demand fuller explanations and may link to efficiency figures. There is no Paper 5/6 practical. Malaysian candidates can use local examples (natural gas plants, Sarawak hydro schemes, rooftop solar under the NEM scheme) and examiners credit any correct, specific example.
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