APES MC Final Part 2
58. In the electrical lines that transmit electricity between a power plant and a home, ________ percent of the energy is lost as heat and sound. A. 10 B. 30 C. 50 D. 70 E. 90
A. 10
Topsoil is the A. A horizon B. O horizon C. B horizon D. C horizon E. parent material
A. A horizon
Which of the following represents a positive feedback loop in the Arctic that is associated with anthropogenic climate change? A. Arctic Ocean ice melts frozen surface water temperature increases more ice melts Arctic Ocean ice melts ocean surface water temperature decreases more ice melts. B. Arctic Ocean ice melts ocean surface water temperature increases more ice forms. C. Arctic Ocean ice forms ocean surface water temperature increases more ice melts. E. Arctic Ocean ice melts ocean surface water temperature decreases less ice melts.
A. Arctic Ocean ice melts frozen surface water temperature increases more ice melts Arctic Ocean ice melts ocean surface water temperature decreases more ice melts
Researchers have found that over the last twenty years there are fewer native plants in the alpine meadows of the Rocky Mountains east of Salt Lake City and that the abundance of two species of invasive grasses has increased. Which of the following questions is most appropriate to ask when investigating the cause of the change in the alpine meadows? A. Has an increase in soil nitrates from air pollution allowed the invasive grasses to outcompete the native plants? B. Has the increased level of tropospheric ozone raised the soil pH of the meadows to a level that the native plants cannot tolerate? C. Has an increased frequency of El Nino events led to drought conditions, thereby making the alpine soils too dry for native specie? D. Has an increase in the population of wolves led to an increase in the population of deer that eat native plants. E. Has fire suppression accompanied by prolonged drought increased the abundance of native shrubs?
A. Has an increase in soil nitrates from air pollution allowed the invasive grasses to outcompete the native plants?
Using Figure 12-3. Why is there a large presence of petroleum in the top chart, but only a small presence in the bottom chart? A. In the United States, petroleum is used mostly as a transportation fuel B. The majority of electricity in the United States is produced by burning natural gas. C. Liquid fuels are always unsuitable for electricity production. D. Since coal causes less pollution than petroleum, the United States prefers to produce electricity with coal. E. Cue to renewable energy technologies, fossil fuels are not necessary for electricity production.
A. In the United States, petroleum is used mostly as a transportation fuel
Use Figure 12-3. In the production of electricity, which of the following fossil fuel types produces the lowest ratio of precent resulting in CO2 emissions to precent consumption? A. Natural gas B. Coal C. Petroleum D. Not enough information given to determine the answer. E. The ratios are the same for all fuel types.
A. Natural gas
Consumers who get their electricity from coal-fired power plants are not paying the true cost of energy production in their monthly utility bills. Which of the following is true about utility bills for these consumers? A. The bills do not include public health costs, such as those associated with air pollution. B. The bills do not include the costs of power distribution. C. The bills do not include the cost of marketing electricity. D. The bills include the cost of environmental damage associated with transporting coal. E. The bills include the costs of cleaning up acid mine damage.
A. The bills do not include public health costs, such as those associated with air pollution.
Bacteria are beneficial to wastewater treatment because A. they help solid material to settle out of the wastewater. B. they naturally break down the organic matter. C. Both A and B. E. All of the above.
A. they help solid material to settle out of the wastewater.
If petroleum used by a power generator is 50 percent efficient and the lines that carry the electricity to a light are 25 percent efficient, what is the energy efficiency of converting this oil into this light? A. 0.50% B. 12.5% C. 1.25% D. 125% E. 75%
B. 12.5%
The half life of a radioactive substance with the decay rate shown in the graph above is closest to A. 5 seconds B. 7 seconds C. 14 seconds D. 18 seconds E. 21 seconds
B. 7 seconds
Mineral nutrients are primary present in the A. A horizon, the zone of eluviation. B. B horizon, the subsoil. C. E horizon, leached zone. D. C horizon, the parent rock. E. B horizon, the topsoil.
B. B horizon, the subsoil
Which pollutant bonds with hemoglobin thereby interfering with oxygen transport in the blood -stream? A. CO2 B. CO C. O2 D. NO E. ??
B. CO
Catalytic converters reduce which of the following pairs of pollutants in car exhaust A. Carbon dioxide and ozone B. Carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons C. Carbon dioxide and particulates D. Lead and mercury E. Methane and particulates
B. Carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons
Use Figure 8-2. Identify the zone labeled A on the figure above. A. A horizon B. O horizon C. B horizon D. C horizon E. E horizon
B. O horizon
A North Carolina timber company proposes to clear-cut 45 hectares of oak-hickory deciduous forest in the Appalachian Mountains. The company has said that the forest will regrow naturally, and 50 years after the clear-cutting the company plans to harvest again, cutting all the oaks and hickories that have at least a 40-centimeter diameter. A local citizens' group claims that this is not a realistic plan. Which of the following, if true, best supports the claim of the citizens' group? A. Harvesting oak hickory will disrupt the soil in the first year after clear-cutting; oaks and hickories cannot germinate that first year. B. Oak and hickory are late-successional species; pioneer species will dominate for many decades before the oaks and hickories are reestablished. C. Coniferous forests ca regrow after having been clear-cut; the biome will change to a boreal forests after clear-cutting D. Populations of large carnivores in the forests will decline after clear-cutting occurs; deer hunting will suffer as a result. E. Erosion rates on the slopes of the Appalachian Mountains will decrease after clear-cutting; many new species will move into the forest.
B. Oak and hickory are late-successional species; pioneer species will dominate for many decades before the oaks and hickories are reestablished.
Which of the following is the best description of bioaccumulation? A. The uptake of essential nutrients by plant roots. B. The absorption of a substance by an organism at a rate greater than the rate of elimination. C. The transfer of persistent pollutants like pcbs from one generation to the next. D. A process that occurs exclusively in marine ecosystems E. high mortality rate in organisms that have been exposed to a toxin
B. The absorption of a substance by an organism at a rate greater than the rate of elimination.
Eutrophication results in the death of trout and other fish as a result of A. toxic pH levels in the water B. asphyxiation from lack of oxygen C. toxic levels of mercury in the water D. toxic concentrations of salt in the water E. a lack of sufficient minerals in the water
B. asphyxiation from lack of oxygen
Tests on water can be used to indicate the likelihood of human wastewater contamination by testing for indicator species such as A. Cryptosporidium. B. fecal coliform bacteria. C. Vibrio Choleroe bacteria. D. Influenza. E. Salmonella Typhi bacteria.
B. fecal coliform bacteria.
The difference between a point source and a nonpoint source of water pollution is that A. a nonpoint is easily identifiable. B. point sources can be targeted for reduction. C. nonpoint sources tend to be factory outputs. D. point sources tend to be agricultural in nature. E. nonpoint sources are less harmful to the environment.
B. point sources can be targeted for reduction.
Primary treatment in a sewage treatment plant is designed to A. remove pathogens from wastewater. B. remove solids from wastewater. C. create sludge for use as fertilizer. D. move water from municipalities to the plant. E. recycle water.
B. remove solids from wastewater.
Phytoplankton are most abundant in the upper few hundred feet of most bodies of water because A. they can most readily hide from predators there. B. sunlight does not penetrate to great depths in water. C. as primary producers, they must be accessible to many other organisms. D. they are benthic organisms E. they feed on zooplankton, which are found only in the top layer of water
B. sunlight does not penetrate to great depths in water.
Burning one gallon of gasoline in a car releases approximately 20 pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere. One person drives 60,000 miles in a car that averages 30 miles per gallon (mpg), while another person drives 60,000 miles in a car that averages 20 mpg. Over the course of the 60,000 miles, how many fewer pounds of CO2 are released by the 30 mpg car than by the 20 mpg car? A. 2,000 B. 8,000 C. 20,000 D. 80,000 E. 100,000
C. 20,000
Use Figure 12-3. Which of the following fuel types produces the highest ratio of percent resulting CO2 emissions to percent consumption? A. Natural gas. B. Non-fossil. C. Coal. D. Petroleum. E. The ratios are the same for all fuel types.
C. Coal.
What important phenomenon that often plays a role in air pollutant episodes is illustrated in the diagram above? A. Albedo B. Greenhouse effect C. Inversion D. Stratification E. Heat-island effect
C. Inversion
In August of 2014, residents of several Ohio cities that use Lake Erie as a drinking water source were warned not to drink tap water because of the presence of toxins released by blue-green algae (cyanobacteria). Which of the following is the most likely cause of recent blooms of blue-green algae in Lake Erie? Increased recreational use of Lake Erie Increased recreational use of Lake Erie A. Increases recreational use of Lake Erie B. Cooler average summer temperatures C. Phosphorus contained in agricultural runoff D. Carbon in wastewater from fracking operations E. Chlorine from sewage treatment plants along Lake Erie's shoreline
C. Phosphorus contained in agricultural runoff
All of the following describe the production of stratospheric ozone except A. it is a closed loop cycle. B. it is formed from the reaction of O with O2 in the presence of ultraviolet radiation. C. it is formed from the reaction of C with O2 in the presence of NOx. D. without interference there is a steady state of ozone being created and destroyed. E. the ozone absorbs UV-B and decomposes into O2 and O.
C. it is formed from the reaction of C with O2 in the presence of NOx.
Which of the following is the human health impact most closely associated with atmospheric particulates? A. Cataracts B. Diabetes C. Melanoma D. Asthma E. Obesity
D. Asthma
Use Figure 12-3. Using only the information in the bottommost chart, which of the following is the best argument for the development of more nuclear power plants in the U.S.? A. There are ample supplies of uranium in the continental United States. B. The United States relies too much on foreign sources of petroleum. C. Only a small amount of uranium is needed for nuclear power production. D. Burning coal to generate electricity creates a lot of CO2 emissions, while using nuclear power creates little. E. There has been improvement in renewable energy technologies.
D. Burning coal to generate electricity creates a lot of CO2 emissions, while using nuclear power creates little.
The least weathered zone in a soil is the A. A horizon. B. O horizon. C. E horizon. D. C horizon. E. B horizon.
D. C horizon
Human wastewater entering into bodies of water can be dangerous because I. it causes a drop in the biological oxygen demand. II. it can lead to cultural eutrophication. III. the wastewater can carry pathogens. A. I only B. II only C. III only D. II and III only E. I, II, and III
D. II and III only II. it can lead to cultural eutrophication. III. the wastewater can carry pathogens.
If an energy source is 35 percent efficient, what happens to the other 65 percent of the energy? A. It is converted to another form of useable energy. B. It is converted to solar energy. C. It is converted to electromagnetic radiation. D. It is lost as waste heat. E. Both B and D
D. It is lost as waste heat.
Which of the following best explains the pattern in NO concentration? A. NO is a secondary pollutant with a long residence in the atmosphere. B. NO does not play a significant role in smog formation. C. NO is formed in the lower atmosphere in the morning by the rising Sun. D. NO is produced by rush-hour traffic and quickly oxidized in the atmosphere E. NO is quickly absorbed by plants and converted to sugars.
D. NO is produced by rush-hour traffic and quickly oxidized in the atmosphere
Construction of a solar power plant is proposed for a desert area near a school. A student has hypothesized that the shade cast by the solar panels will increase the mortality of creosote bush, a native desert plant in the area. Before construction begins, what experimental data should the student collect in order to eventually test the hypothesis? A. The rate of increase in atmospheric CO2 worldwide (in ppm) that occurs in the 12-month prior to the start of construction. B. Average noise levels in decibels) at a construction site, compared to average noise levels in the desert 20 km away from the construction site. C. The rate of wind-caused soil erosion (in kg/yr) near solar panels at a similar desert location where creosote bush grows. D. The direct sunlight received by creosote bush in the desert area (in kWh/m^2) during a 12-month period. E. The changes in monthly precipitation (in mm/yr) at a similar desert location where creosote bush grows
D. The direct sunlight received by creosote bush in the desert area (in kWh/m^2) during a 12-month period
The Sun's radiation provides the energy for all of the following EXCEPT A. plant growth. B. ocean currents. C. hurricanes. D. plate tectonics. E. cloud formation.
D. plate tectonics.
To decrease the likelihood of cultural eutrophication from the effluent released from a water treatment facility, sewage plants may include a A. secondary treatment of using bacteria to breakdown algae. B. secondary treatment of using ozone for disinfection. C. secondary treatment of removing nitrogen and phosphorous. D. tertiary treatment of removing nitrogen and phosphorous. E. tertiary treatment of using bacteria to breakdown algae.
D. tertiary treatment of removing nitrogen and phosphorous.
Energy quality A. from wood is high. B. from gasoline is high. C. is measured by the ease with which it can be used for work. D. is high when it is found in a concentrated form. E. B, C, and D
E. B, C, and D
The E horizon is A. a zone of eluviation. B. the zone through which iron and aluminum pass from overlying horizons. c. the zone that receives the dissolved organic acids that pass from overlying horizons. D. present in all soils. E. Both A and B.
E. Both A and B
Which of the following is the best example of the tragedy of the common? A. Water pollution from oil rigs concentrated in the Gulf of Mexico. B. An increase in the concentration of a toxin as it goes through the food chain. C. Exponential population growth as a country goes through the demographic transition. D. The use of invasive species as a biological control. E. The over harvesting of fish from privately owned lakes.
E. The over harvesting of fish from privately owned lakes
The beneficial ozone is ___ and the dangerous ozone is ___ A. 02, 03 B. 03,02 C. 03,CFC D. tropospheric, stratospheric E. stratospheric, tropospheric
E. stratospheric, tropospheric