Which of the following is a non-renewable energy source?

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks which source is non-renewable. That means it cannot be replaced naturally within a human lifetime, so it runs out once used.

Step 2: Concept

• Renewable energy is naturally replenished continuously. Examples are the sun, water flow, wind, waves, tides, and geothermal heat.
• Non-renewable energy takes millions of years to form, so it is used up faster than it forms. Examples are coal, crude oil (petroleum), natural gas, and nuclear fuel (uranium).

Step 3: Check each option

• A. Coal is formed from buried plant remains over millions of years. Once burnt, it cannot be replaced, so it is non-renewable.
• B. Hydro uses flowing water, which is replenished by the water cycle, so it is renewable.
• C. Ocean waves are driven by wind and are continuously produced, so they are renewable.
• D. Solar comes from the sun, which is effectively inexhaustible, so it is renewable.
• E. Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun, so they are renewable.

Step 4: Answer Only coal is a fossil fuel that gets used up, so the answer is A. Coal.

Tip: Remember "fossil fuels = finite". Coal, oil, and natural gas are non-renewable. Anything linked to the sun, water movement, wind, or the moon (solar, hydro, waves, tides) is renewable. In Nigeria, our coal at Enugu is a classic example of a non-renewable resource.