enviro mid term (1 - 2)
The largest hydroelectric dam in the world is located on one of the world's longest rivers in this area.
(E)
In what year was the fraction of energy supplied by coal the greatest?
1910
Area where new crust is being created at a divergent plate boundary
B
Rock layer that can be porous but must have very low to no permeability
B
In the majority of less developed countries, the major source of energy for domestic use is which of the following?
Biomass
Which of the following best describes an advantage of burning biomass rather than burning fossil fuels in developing countries?
Biomass production is cheaper than fossil fuel extraction, making it more readily available for use.
Which of the following is the most successful solution to the problem of fish mortality caused by dams?
Building fish ladders around the dam
Which of the following is the current recommendation of Congress for the permanent storage of high-level radioactive waste in the United States?
Burial deep underground at sites remote from population centers
Rock layer that must be porous and have enough permeability for fluid to move through the layer
C
Which of the following countries has the largest coal reserves?
China
Which of the following is the primary environmental problem associated with the use of nuclear power to generate electricity?
Disposal of radioactive waste
Economic benefits of building large dams include which of the following? I. Storage of water for agriculture and domestic use II. Controlling floods upstream III. Production of renewable energy
I and III only
Which of the following actions would reduce global greenhouse emissions?
Replacing coal-burning power plants with wind farms
Which of the following has the largest proven coal reserves?
The United States
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?
The direct sunlight received by creosote bush in the desert area (in kWh/m2) during a 12-month period
At which of the following sites does seafloor spreading result in rifts and possible volcanoes?
a
Which of the following correctly pairs a region with its percent increase in electricity demand between 2016 and 2040?
india , 227%
There are various stages in the formation of coal as heat and pressure are increased and moisture content is decreased. These stages, in order, are
peat, lignite, bituminous, anthracite
Most volcanism in the world is associated with
plate boundaries
The primary cause for the decline in the use of wood as a fuel in the eighteen hundreds was the
reduced wood availability resulting from widespread deforestation
In contrast to low-level radioactive waste, most high-level radioactive waste is currently
stored at reactor sites
Compared to a coal-fired power plant that produces the same amount of energy, a nuclear power plant generates more
thermal pollution
Overgrazing of public land by privately owned livestock is an example of the
tragedy of the commons
A new 450-unit housing development will replace several small farms on the outskirts of Fremont. The development will be composed of 1/4-hectare lots with nearly identical footprints, as show below. One important step that homeowners in the new development can take to protect water quality in Samel Creek would be to
use rain barrels to reduce the flow of storm water into the creek
Geothermal energy plants are a viable alternative energy source because they
use the heat from Earth's interior to create steam that is used to generate electricity and then can be pumped back into the ground
The largest hydroelectric dam in the world is located on one of the world's longest rivers in this area.
(E) china
The concentration of H+ ions in a solution with a pH value of 4 is how many times as great as the concentration of H+ ions in a solution with a pH value of 7 ?
1,000
The half-life of radon gas is approximately four days. Four weeks after the introduction of radon into a sealed room, the fraction of the original amount remaining is closest to
1/128
Approximately how many more times acidic, in terms of H+ concentration, is precipitation in the northeastern United States as compared to precipitation in the South Pacific?
10
The town of Fremont Center shares its power plant with the towns of West Fremont and East Fremont. Information about the three towns is shown in the table below. The maximum capacity of the existing power plant is 2,000 MW.
15%
A family of four lives in a three-bedroom house and uses an average of 900kWh of electricity per month. The family cools their house for three months during the summer with two window-unit air conditioners that each use 350kWh of electricity per month. Which of the following is the percentage of the family's total annual electricity that is used to run the two air conditioners for the three summer months?
19.4%
In approximately what year did oil and gas become the dominant fuels for the United States?
1940
In 1997 the World Resources Institute estimated the world's proven oil reserves to be 1,000 billion barrels and the ultimately recoverable reserves to be 2,000 billion barrels. The table below shows the world consumption of oil from 1986 to 1997. What was the approximate percent increase in consumption from 1986 to 1997 ?
20%
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?
20,000
A sample of radioactive waste has a half-life of 10 years and an activity level of 2 curies. After how many years will the activity level of this sample be 0.25 curie?
30 years
How many BTUs were consumed in the United States in 2017 by consumers that used petroleum as a fuel source?
36 quadrillion BTUs
The town of Fremont Center shares its power plant with the towns of West Fremont and East Fremont. Information about the three towns is shown in the table below. The maximum capacity of the existing power plant is 2,000 MW. Assuming per capita demand remains the same, what will be the approximate power demand in Fremont Center in 40 years?
4,000 MW
The town of Fremont Center shares its power plant with the towns of West Fremont and East Fremont. Information about the three towns is shown in the table below. The maximum capacity of the existing power plant is 2,000 MW. The number of years that the power plant will be capable of supplying all of the demand for energy in the three cities is nearest to
5 years
After 200 million years, only 1/16 of the original amount of a particular radioactive waste will remain. The half-life of this radioactive waste is how many million years?
50
If the annual consumption of petroleum in the United States is about 23 barrels per capita, the total annual consumption of petroleum in the United States is closest to
6 billion barrels
The half-life of a radioactive substance with the decay rate shown in the graph above is closest to
7 seconds
Uranium-235 has a half-life of 710 million years. If it is determined that a certain amount of stored U-235 will be considered safe only when its radioactivity has dropped to 0.10 percent of the original level, approximately how much time must the U-235 be stored securely to be safe?
7.1 x 10^9 years
In 1997 the World Resources Institute estimated the world's proven oil reserves to be 1,000 billion barrels and the ultimately recoverable reserves to be 2,000 billion barrels. The table below shows the world consumption of oil from 1986 to 1997. At the 1997 rate of consumption, about how long will the estimated 2,000 billion barrels of oil last?
75 years
An individual has been driving a passenger vehicle to work, averaging 60 miles a week in a car that averages 22 miles per gallon. The individual plans to purchase a hybrid vehicle that averages 50 miles per gallon. If the individual drives to work 50 weeks a year, how much gas will they save if they switch to a hybrid vehicle for their commute?
76 gallons
Which of the following is the best example of cogeneration?
A coal-fired power plant captures waste heat and uses it to heat adjacent buildings.
Some solar energy systems produce high-temperature water for industrial applications and produce steam to run turbines that generate electricity. What type of solar energy system is needed for these kinds of applications?
A solar collector system using mirrors or lenses to concentrate sunlight
Which of the following is the best example of a tragedy of the commons?
Accumulation of plastics in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Which of the following best describes a transform boundary?
An area where two tectonic plates slide past one another
Which of the following best explains the process of electricity generation in a hydrogen fuel cell?
At the anode, hydrogen is oxidized and electrons flow in a circuit to the cathode. At the cathode, oxygen reacts with the hydrogen to produce water. Water and heat are by-products of the reaction.
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following energy sources. Biomass Wind Tidal energy Nuclear fission Sunlight The source whose use is a direct cause of deforestation
Biomass
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following questions(s) refer to the following sources of energy. (A) Photovoltaics (B) Geothermal (C) Biomass (D) Hydroelectric (E) Hydrogen fuel More commonly used in the least developed countries than in highly developed countries
Biomass
Which of the following describes an environmental problem that can result from the combustion of fossil fuels to generate electricity?
Carbon dioxide is a product of the combustion fossil fuels, and it can lead to global climate change when released into the atmosphere.
Which of the following best explains why DDT has been found in penguin eggs in the Antarctic?
Chemicals used in one region of Earth can circulate in the biosphere and affect organisms in a distant region.
Which three sources supply the majority of commercial energy in the world today?
Coal, oil, and natural gas
In an apartment building, exhaust from a gas-powered electrical generator is captured to produce hot water to heat a swimming pool. Which of the following is illustrated by this process?
Cogeneration
The cities of Edmonton and Calgary are relatively far north and at high elevation. Which of the following best explains the data presented in their ecological footprints?
Colder average temperatures and longer nights in Edmonton and Calgary lead to high energy usage to heat and light homes.
Which of the following federal laws specifically deals with the cleanup of abandoned hazardous waste sites?
Comprehensive Environmental Responsibility Compensation and Liability Act
Rock layer that must be rich in organic matter that was subjected to heat and pressure over time during the formation of oil and natural gas.
D
Which of the following best illustrates the concept of the tragedy of the commons?
Depletion of an aquifer by regional farmers
Which of the following is the best illustration of the tragedy of the commons?
Depletion of fishing stocks in the North Atlantic
Which of the following statements correctly explains the tectonic plate activity on the West Coast of the United States?
Earthquakes occur at the San Andreas Fault when stored energy is released from locked plates.
Which of the following is the most valid inference regarding electricity production, based on the graph above?
Electricity production from coal began to decrease in 2008 because of the increasing use of natural gas and renewable energy.
The graph shows the worldwide catch of orange roughy, a type of wild caught fish, in tons, from 1977 to 2011. Based on the data in the graph, which of the following fishing practice solutions would best promote the sustainability of the orange roughy population?
Establishment of quotas on the number of orange roughy caught
Which of the following scenarios best explains the concept of the tragedy of the commons?
Fish are shared resources, and as the fishing industry competes for the fish, the resource extraction is no longer sustainable.
Which of the following best describes an environmental problem associated with hydrologic fracturing, or fracking?
Fracking fluids can escape from the drill hole and contaminate surface water and groundwater.
Which of the following accurately describes a fuel cell vehicle?
Fuel cell vehicles use hydrogen to generate electricity that runs the motor.
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following questions(s) refer to the following sources of energy. (A) Photovoltaics (B) Geothermal (C) Biomass (D) Hydroelectric (E) Hydrogen fuel Drawbacks include noise and the release of corrosive chemicals
Geothermal
Which of the following energy sources is not derived directly or indirectly from solar energy?
Geothermal
Which of the following best describes a disadvantage of geothermal energy production?
Geothermal energy implementation in homes and businesses has a high upfront cost, and electricity is needed to operate pumps.
A person's ecological footprint is the total amount of land required to offset a person's carbon emissions. The table below shows ecological footprint data for five different students. Each value is a measure of the number of hectares per land required. After reviewing personal footprint data, Student 5 decides to take action to lower his or her overall footprint by reducing money spent on shoes and clothing. Land use in which of the following categories will be most affected by this change?
Goods and services
Extraction of natural gas by the process of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is most likely to result in which of the following environmental problems?
Groundwater contamination
Which of the following best describes the first law of thermodynamics?
In a closed system of constant mass, the energy involved in any physical or chemical change is neither created nor destroyed, but merely changed from one form to another.
Rachel Carson's contributions to the environmental movement include which of the following?
Increasing public awareness of the risks of using pesticides
Which of the following is an example of an external cost?
Individuals pay for medical treatment of lung disease aggravated by pollution from a coal- fired power plant.
Throughout the world, especially the less-developed countries, burning wood or other biomass for heating or cooking in homes is common. One negative environmental impact of this practice is the production of particulates indoors, which can be a health hazard to humans. Which of the following describes the best strategy for mitigating this potential problem?
Installing effective ventilation systems in dwellings
Which of the following is a true statement about passive solar heating?
It is based in part on the principle of the greenhouse effect.
Negative environmental impacts associated with large-scale hydroelectric projects have been demonstrated in which of the following areas?
James Bay, Quebec
The dangers of disposing of toxic chemicals underground came to public attention in which of the following locations?
Love Canal, New York
Many environmentalists consider Egypt's Aswan High Dam on the Nile River to be an ecological disaster. Which of the following is the best evidence to support this viewpoint?
Most of the nutrient-rich silt that the Nile annually deposited downstream is now deposited behind the dam.
The graphs below show the energy output of one kilowatt of photovoltaic (PV)(PV) capacity of different PVPV panel systems over a day (graph on the left) and the annual energy production (graph on the right) of the same systems. Dual-axis tracking means that the PVPV panels are constantly moving to always face the Sun directly. If the PVPV panels are tilted in a fixed position, the direction of tilt is indicated. Flat PVPV panels are not tilted in any direction. Which of the following PVPV panel systems is least effective at producing energy?
No tracking, tilted east
The graphs below show the energy output of one kilowatt of photovoltaic (PV)(PV) capacity of different PVPV panel systems over a day (graph on the left) and the annual energy production (graph on the right) of the same systems. Dual-axis tracking means that the PVPV panels are constantly moving to always face the Sun directly. If the PVPV panels are tilted in a fixed position, the direction of tilt is indicated. Flat PVPV panels are not tilted in any direction. If peak electricity use occurs around 2p.m.2p.m. in the Los Angeles area and avoiding brownouts is more important to the installers of the PVPV panels than annual energy output, which of the following PVPV panel systems would be best to use in the area?
No tracking, tilted west
Which of the following is a characteristic of nonrenewable energy sources that distinguishes them from renewable energy sources?
Nonrenewable energy sources typically take a longer time to replenish than renewable energy sources do.
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following energy sources. Biomass Wind Tidal energy Nuclear fission Sunlight The source that is not renewable
Nuclear fission
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following energy sources. Biomass Wind Tidal energy Nuclear fission Sunlight The source that produces long-lived hazardous wastes
Nuclear fission
Nuclear power is a component of the line labeled "Other" in the graph. Why is it impossible for nuclear energy to completely replace oil and gas in the future?
Nuclear power can supply electricity, but it cannot replace other uses of oil and gas.
Which of the following best describes a benefit of increasing the number of offshore wind farms rather than onshore wind farms?
Offshore winds farms will produce up to three times as much electricity as wind farms on land because of increased wind speeds offshore.
Of the following sources, which supplies the most commercial energy in the world today?
Oil
Based on the data in the graph, which of the following Canadian cities had the lowest average per capita ecological footprint?
Ottawa
The graphs below show the energy output of one kilowatt of photovoltaic (PV)(PV) capacity of different PVPV panel systems over a day (graph on the left) and the annual energy production (graph on the right) of the same systems. Dual-axis tracking means that the PVPV panels are constantly moving to always face the Sun directly. If the PVPV panels are tilted in a fixed position, the direction of tilt is indicated. Flat PVPV panels are not tilted in any direction. Which of the following statements is best supported by the data shown in the graph?
PV panels that can track the Sun and are constantly moving to always directly face the Sun produce the most electricity daily and annually.
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following questions(s) refer to the following sources of energy. (A) Photovoltaics (B) Geothermal (C) Biomass (D) Hydroelectric (E) Hydrogen fuel Converts solar energy directly into electrical energy
Photovoltaics
Which of the following practices would have the biggest impact on achieving global sustainability?
Reducing human population size
A person's ecological footprint is the total amount of land required to offset a person's carbon emissions. The table below shows ecological footprint data for five different students. Each value is a measure of the number of hectares per land required. If Student 2 wanted to change his or her footprint to be more similar to that of Student 1, which of the following actions would he or she choose based on the data given in table 1 ?
Reducing the amount of meat in his or her diet
Which of the following explains why some energy sources are renewable?
Renewable energy sources can be replenished naturally, at or near the rate of consumption.
Which of the following is a way for the government to encourage efficient energy use?
Requiring higher fuel economy standards for new cars
Which of the following laws gave the EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from "cradle-to-grave", including the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste?
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Directions: Each set of lettered choices below refers to the numbered questions or statements immediately following it. Select the one lettered choice that best answers each question or best fits each statement. A choice may be used once, more than once, or not at all in each set. The following questions refer to the energy sources listed. (A) Uranium-238 (B) Coal (C) Natural gas (D) Oil (E) Solar Is renewable
Solar
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the following energy sources. Biomass Wind Tidal energy Nuclear fission Sunlight The source that is converted directly into electrical energy by photovoltaic cells
Sunlight
Which of the following is most likely to reduce the United States contribution to the increase in concentration of atmospheric CO2?
Switching from cars and trucks to rail for mass transit and freight movement
Which of the following statements correctly explains the role of fossil fuels in the production of energy?
The combustion of fossil fuels heats water to produce steam, which then turns a turbine.
Which of the following best describes how the use of hydrogen fuel negatively impacts the environment?
The energy needed to produce the hydrogen fuel may come from fossil fuels, whose use contributes to ocean acidification and global climate change.
A person's ecological footprint is the total amount of land required to offset a person's carbon emissions. The table below shows ecological footprint data for five different students. Each value is a measure of the number of hectares per land required. Which of the following is a limitation of using only the data in the table to complete an ecological footprint analysis of the different students?
The footprint is a static analysis and does not include all environmental impacts of an individual.
Which of the following is the best example of an energy storage element in a solar energy system?
The hot water tank in a solar hot water system
According to the data plotted in the graph above, which of the following is true about the increase in world fossil fuel consumption between 1965 and 1980 ?
The increase in oil consumption outpaced the increases in coal and natural gas consumption.
Which of the following statements about geothermal energy is accurate?
The location of geothermal energy sources ranges from short distances below ground to miles below the surface.
Between 1960 and 1970, world oil consumption approximately doubled. Which of the following explanations is consistent with this increase?
The number of cars on the road increased.
Although nuclear energy is considered a cleaner energy source than fossil fuels, some scientists argue this does not support the claim that nuclear energy is renewable. Which of the following claims best supports the argument that nuclear energy is a nonrenewable energy source?
The uranium deposits on Earth are finite.
Which of the following best describes the method of vehicle transport that is the most environmentally sustainable?
The use of a vehicle powered by hydrogen fuel cells because there are no carbon emissions
Which of the following is a drawback to using biofuels, such as ethanol, as a fuel source?
There is high energy investment in producing and processing the crops needed for ethanol production.
Which of the following is considered an advantage of using nuclear power to generate electricity?
There is no CO2 emitted from the nuclear reaction.
Which of the following is a true statement concerning the production of electricity in conventional nuclear power plants using fission reactors?
Thermal energy is converted into mechanical energy and then to electrical energy, as in coal-burning power plants.
One example of the tragedy of the commons occurs when trees are harvested from tropical rain forests without any regulations. Which of the following best describes why this is an example of the tragedy of the commons?
Timber producers remove as much timber as possible as cheaply as possible.
Which of the following is the most practical solution to maximizing energy production at wind farms while minimizing the risk to wildlife?
Turn off turbines during periods of maximum migration.
Which of the following metals is considered an energy resource?
Uranium
Which of the following would be most likely to be used as a fuel source for electricity generation in the plant displayed in the diagram?
Uranium-235
Which of the following is the best example of the tragedy of the commons?
Water pollution from oil rigs concentrated in the Gulf of Mexico
Which of the following gases is released from the structure labeled C in the diagram?
Water vapor
Which of the following is a reason why hybrid electric vehicles use less fossil fuel per mile traveled than a typical internal combustion engine vehicle uses?
When the brakes are applied in hybrid electric vehicles, kinetic energy is converted into electric energy to charge the batteries that assist the electric motor.
The intraplate location where hot-spot volcanism is occurring
a
Which of the structures in the diagram is the site where the nuclear power plant accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl occurred?
a
Directions: Select the choice that best fits each statement. The following question(s) refer to the qualities of water samples. Acidity Turbidity Hardness Dissolved oxygen Salinity Measured on the pH scale
acidity
At which of the following sites would activity result in volcanoes, island arcs, and mountains?
b
Area that exhibits a growing nonvolcanic mountain chain due to uplift
c
At which of the following sites is an earthquake most likely to occur as two plates slide sideways past each other?
c
The location where new crust is being created at a divergent plate boundary
c
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the pumping of highly pressurized water with a mixture of sand and chemicals into boreholes to
create cracks within the rock in order to provide pathways for the release of gas and oil
One solution for reducing the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide would be to
decrease the use of fossil fuels
Many communities experience the tragedy of the commons. One way a local community might regulate a shared and limited resource and reduce the tragedy of the commons is to
divide the resources into parcels and assign them to individuals
A major limitation of using photovoltaic cells to generate electricity is that they
do not produce as much electricity on cloudy days
Area that exhibits island arcs
e
This region has been the largest petroleum exporter for the past four decades.
e
A sustainable society would emphasize
using energy efficiently and reusing and recycling matter