missed APES practice test questions

cellulose

All of the following substances are derived from petroleum EXCEPT A) asphalt B) DDT C) cellulose D) polystyrene E) nylon

is a strong oxidant and a respiratory irritant

Although ozone in the stratosphere has been decreasing in recent years, ozone near Earth's surface s on the increase. This ozone near the surface is undesirable because it: A) absorbs ultraviolet light B) has a different chemical structure than stratospheric ozone C) reacts with hydrocarbons to form CFC's D) is a strong oxidant and a respiratory irritant E) accelerates rates of photosynthesis in plants

Nitrification

Ammonia is converted to nitrite, then to nitrate. A) Nitrification B) Denitrification C) Assimilation D) Ammonification E) Nitrogen fixation

Cogeneration

An industry uses natural gas for manufacturing and uses the waste heat to produce electricity. This is an example of which process? A) Cogeneration B) Electrolysis C) Gas hydration D) Gasification E) Reclamation

30%

Approximate efficiency of an average coal-fired power plant A) 100% B) 95% C) 30% D) 15% E) 1%

15%

Approximate efficiency of an conversion of light energy to chemical energy in photosynthesis A) 100% B) 95% C) 30% D) 15% E) 1%

95%

Approximate percentage of electrical energy converted to heat in the average incandescent light bulb A) 100% B) 95% C) 30% D) 15% E) 1%

Ozone

Considered harmful in the trophosphere but beneficial in the stratosphere A) Sulfur Dioxide B) Lead C) Ozone D) Hydrocarbons E) Particulates

Australia

Country with the greatest percentage of land area affected by desertification A) Australia B) Brazil C) Chile D) Russia E) United States of America

Tropical East Pacific

El Nino, a periodic warming of ocean surface waters, occurs in which of the following regions? A) Tropical East Pacific B) Gulf of Mexico C) Arctic North Pacific D) Temperate West Atlantic E) Tropical Indian Ocean

Reduction in species diversity

Fragmenting one large park or preserve into many small parks with human habitation in between them is most likely to lead to which of the following? A) Reduction in species diversity B) Stabilization of microclimates C) Decrease in the proportion of edge habitat D) Increase in gene flow within species E) Increase in population size of top carnivores

Carbon Monoxide

Has a stronger affinity for hemoglobin than oxygen has A) Carbon Dioxide B) Carbon Monoxide C) Methane D) Radon E) Sulfur Dioxide

Radon

Has been implicated as the cause of as much as 15 percent of lung cancer cases. A) Carbon Dioxide B) Carbon Monoxide C) Methane D) Radon E) Sulfur Dioxide

0.05 joule of light energy

If an incandescent light bulb used for lighting has an efficiency rating of 5 percent, then for every 1.00 joule of electrical energy consumed by the bulb, which of the following is produced? A) 1.05 joule of light energy B) 1.05 joule of heat energy C) 0.95 joule of light energy D) 0.05 joule of light energy E) 0.05 joule of heat energy

Lead

Implicated in human neurological damage. A) Sulfur Dioxide B) Lead C) Ozone D) Hydrocarbons E) Particulates

Death rate

In a human population undergoing demographic transition, which of the following generally decreases first? A) Birth rate B) Death rate C) Average family size D) Life expectancy E) Level of education

Paper

In the United States, the largest single component of municipal solid waste is: A) glass B) paper C) food scraps D) wood and other construction debris E) plastic

Sulfur Dioxide

Most often cited as the causative factor for acid deposition A) Sulfur Dioxide B) Lead C) Ozone D) Hydrocarbons E) Particulates

plate boundaries

Most volcanism in the world is associated with A) plate boundaries B) mid continental hot spots C) faulting D) aquifer depletion E) desertification

James Bay, Quebec

Negative environmental impacts associated with large-scale hydroelectric projects have been demonstrated in which of the following areas? A) James Bay, Quebec B) Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania C) Kissimmee River, Florida D) Mono Lake, California E) Aral Sea, former USSR

Factory effluent

Of the following, which is the best example of a point source solution of water pollution? A) Factory effluent B) Storm water C) Acid precipitation D) Agricultural runoff E) Residential pesticide runoff

Assimilation

Plant roots absorb ammonium ions and nitrate ions for use in making molecules such as DNA, amino acids, and proteins. A) Nitrification B) Denitrification C) Assimilation D) Ammonification E) Nitrogen fixation

decreased concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere

The main environmental effects of ozone depletion could include all of the following EXCEPT: A) lower food-crop production B) decreased concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere C) disruption of marine food chains D) increased incidence of skin cancer E) reduction of primary productivity in the oceans

photosynthesis by phytoplankton

The major biological source of dissolved oxygen in the ocean comes from: A) decomposition of organic sediments on the ocean floor B) metabolic processes of coral in reefs C) oxidation of sulfur by bacteria in ocean vent communities D) photosynthesis by phytoplankton E) respiration by zooplankton

100%

The maximum efficiency possible in an energy-conversion process that is not limited by the second law of thermodynamics A) 100% B) 95% C) 30% D) 15% E) 1%

Nitrogen

The most abundant element in Earth's atmosphere A) Oxygen B) Aluminum C) Iron D) Nitrogen E) Argon

Iron

The most abundant element in Earth's core A) Oxygen B) Aluminum C) Iron D) Nitrogen E) Argon

Oxygen

The most abundant element in Earth's crust A) Oxygen B) Aluminum C) Iron D) Nitrogen E) Argon

nitrogen

The most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere is A) nitrogen B) oxygen C) water vapor D) carbon dioxide E) hydrogen

Pesiticide

The water-holding capacity

Reducing use of fossil fuels

Which of the following actions would be the most effective in decreasing acid rain and acid deposition problems? A) Using higher smokestacks B) Reducing use of fossil fuels C) Developing acid-resistant crops D) Adding lime to acidified lakes E) Relocating power plants to areas of lower population density

The Montreal Protocol

Which of the following best exemplifies global collaboration for a sustainable environment? A) The Montreal Protocol B) The Antartic Treaty of 1961 C) The Clean Air Act of 1972 D) CERCLA (Superfund) E) NAFTA

Under many conditions, phosphorus forms stable insoluble compounds

Which of the following best helps to explain why phosphorus is often a limiting factor in many ecosystems? A) There is usually a gaseous phase in the phosphorus cycle. B) Phosphorus cycles very quickly through environments. C) Under many conditions, phosphorus forms stable insoluble compounds. D) Phosphate is not readily taken up by plants. E) There are no anthropogenic sources of phosphorus.

Oxygen

Which of the following elements constitutes the highest percentage of mass in the Earth's crust? A) Oxygen B) Aluminum C) Carbon D) Potassium E) Nitrogen

Geothermal

Which of the following energy sources is not derived directly or indirectly from solar energy? A) Geothermal B) Photovoltaic C) Hydroelectric D) Biomass E) Wind

Ozone

Which of the following is an effective alternative to chlorine for disinfecting wastewater in a municipal treatment plant? A) Freon B) Alcohol C) Phosphate D) Ammonia E) Ozone

Table salt

Which of the following is an inorganic compound? A) Ethanol B) Benzene C) Table salt D) Sucrose E) Propane

The concentration of nitrates in streams running through the region will increase

Which of the following is most likely to occur in a forested region that has been recently clear-cut? A) The concentration of nitrates in streams running through the region will increase. B) The average depth of topsoil will increase. C) The water temperature in streams running through the region will decrease. D) Volume of runoff after rains will decrease. E) The frequency of landslides will decrease.

Uranium

Which of the following metals is considered an energy resource? A) Uranium B) Cobalt C) Mercury D) Copper E) Palladium

decreased size of snowpack

Which of the following not only results from greenhouse warming but also contributes to additional warming of Earth (i.e., is a positive feedback process) ? A) Increased emissions of particulates and aerosols from industrial activity B) Increased from volcanic activity C) Decreased air temperature and subsequent formation of clouds D) Decreased incidence of sunspot activity E) Decreased size of snowpack

Addition of large amounts of water to leach out salts

Which of the following procedures would b best for remediating the effects of soil salinization? A) Application of broad-spectrum biocides to kill microorganisms B) Application of superphosphate to increase soil fertility C) Addition of clay to increase soil water-holding capacity D) Addition of large amounts of water to leach out salts E) Addition of lime to raise soil pH

chlorine

Which of the following substances is released by CFC's and catalyzes a chain reaction that breaks down ozone in upper atmosphere? A) carbon monoxide B) carbon dioxide C) chlorine D) sulfur dioxide E) methane

second law of thermodynamics

an energy transformation occurs and results in increased disorder. A) heat flow B) kinetic energy C) potential energy D) First law of thermodynamics E) second law of thermodynamics

2.5%

Approximately what percentage of the water on Earth is freshwater (solid and liquid)? A) 75% B) 25% C) 2.5% D) 0.25% E) 0.025%

thermal expansions of the oceans

In models of global warming, the most important factor contributing to an increase in sea level is: A) thermal expansion of the oceans B) increased precipitation C) decreased evaporation D) subsurface ocean cooling E) growth of the polar ice caps

It increases as the concentration of the pollutant decreases

In the removal of a pollutant from wastewater, which of the following is true of the cost per unit of pollutant removed? A) It decreases as the toxicity of the pollutant increases. B) It decreases as the time passed before remediation increases. C) It increases as the concentration of the pollutant decreases. D) It increases as the volume of the wastewater decreases. E) It does not change over time or with the concentration of pollutant.

Sulfur Dioxide

Is an important precursor to acid rain. A) Carbon Dioxide B) Carbon Monoxide C) Methane D) Radon E) Sulfur Dioxide

Particulates

Is the major pollutant that electrostatic precipitators are designed to remove from power-plant smokestack emissions A) Sulfur Dioxide B) Lead C) Ozone D) Hydrocarbons E) Particulates

I and II only

Living organisms must acquire energy from their environment. Examples of adaptations that help organisms acquire this energy include which of the following? I. the dark, heat-absorbing coloration of a reptile. II. the fangs and claws of a lion III. the light coloration of a peppered moth A) I only B) II only C) I and II only D) II and III only E) I, II, and III

Denitrification

Nitrate ions and nitrite ions are converted into nitrous oxide gas and nitrogen gas (N2). A) Nitrification B) Denitrification C) Assimilation D) Ammonification E) Nitrogen fixation

An environmental impact statement

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 required all agencies responsible for a major federal project that could significantly affect the quality of the environment to file which of the following? A) A mitigated negative declaration B) A geographic information system report C) An environmental impact statement D) An agency review E) A cost-benefit analysis

I only

The amount of sediment deposited at the mouth of a river system is likely to be increased by the presence upstream of which of the following? I. Artificial levees and embankments II. Dams III. Extensive natural wetlands A) I only B) II only C) III only D) I and II E) II and III

Aluminum

The element commercially extracted from bauxite A) Oxygen B) Aluminum C) Iron D) Nitrogen E) Argon

Denitrification

The process by which a soil nutrient is reduced and released to the atmosphere as a gas A) Photosynthesis B) Eutrophication C) Denitrification D) Decomposition E) Transpiration

Decomposition

The rapid rate of this process in tropical forest results in low-nutrient soils A) Photosynthesis B) Eutrophication C) Denitrification D) Decomposition E) Transpiration

Producers

The ultimate source of energy for terrestrial ecosystems is A) nutrients in soil B) nutrients in vegetation C) primary consumers D) producers E) the Sun

turbidity

caused by suspended particles. A) Acidity B) Turbidity C) Hardness D) Dissolved oxygen E) salinity

heat flow

energy is transferred from one object to another as the result of a temperature difference A) heat flow B) kinetic energy C) potential energy D) First law of thermodynamics E) second law of thermodynamics

Hardness

measured by the amount of Ca2+ and Mg2+ A) Acidity B) Turbidity C) Hardness D) Dissolved oxygen E) salinity

First law of thermodynamics

the amount of energy in an isolated system stays constant A) heat flow B) kinetic energy C) potential energy D) First law of thermodynamics E) second law of thermodynamics

nuclear fission

the source that is not renewable. A) biomass B) wind C) Tidal energy D) nuclear fission e) sunlight

biomass

the source whose use is a direct cause of deforestation A) biomass B) wind C) Tidal energy D) nuclear fission e) sunlight