ENVS Chapter 13
Rank the following areas in terms of proven natural gas reserves. Place the area with the largest proven reserves at the top.
1. Middle EAst 2. Russia 3. North America
Rank the following countries by quantity of proven oil reserves. Place the country with the most at the top and least at the bottom.
1. Vene 2. Saudi 3. Canda 4. Iraq 5. Us
Some people estimate that the United States could generate about ________% of our electricity with rooftop PV, especially if the roofs of warehouses and big-box stores were used.
75
What is the greatest danger in a nuclear power plant?
A failure in the cooling system, resulting in overheating
Why does nuclear fission release so much energy? (Select all that apply.)
A small amount of mass is converted to energy in nuclear fission. A self-sustaining chain reaction occurs resulting in vast amounts of energy being released.
The storage of energy in ______, even on a commercial scale, is rapidly becoming an important component of our energy future.
Batteries
Which of the following are components of tar sands? (Choose all that apply.)
Bitumen Sand Shale particles
of energy involves using less and can be achieved by changes in technologies and behavior.
Blank 1: Conservation
The principles of a passive building include thick wall and _____ roof insulation, well-sealed windows and ______ , heat exchangers, and with triple panes that are also well positioned.
Blank 1: doors Blank 2: windows
The proposed Keystone XL pipeline would have brought oil from _________to Texas, where most of it would have been exported.
Canada or Alberta
The United States, Russia, and ________ have 2/3 of the world's coal reserves. (Use just one word for your answer.)
China
China and India together burn more than half of all the _____ mined.
Coal
Identify all the fossil fuels in the list below.
Coal Oil Natural gas
Dried manure can be used directly as a fuel source, but capturing the ______ emitted from manure and using it as a fuel source is a much more efficient and environmentally sound use of the material.
MEthane
Identify all the types of air pollution produced by the burning of coal. (There are more than those listed here.)
Nitrogen oxide Carbon dioxide Mercury Sulfur dioxide
Which of the following states has the highest potential for wind power?
North Dakota
Which the following choices best describes modern wind turbines?
One can generate enough power for 4,000 typical U.S. homes.
Identify the statement consistent with worldwide crude oil production projections over the next 100 years (based on the Hubbert peak oil data).
Peak oil production may not come for hundreds of years.
What are some benefits of wind power? (Choose all that apply.)
Permanent jobs are created. Turbines can be installed in areas with multiple land use.
Select all the environmental issues associated with hydraulic fracturing or "fracking."
Petroleum distillates are used in the fluids. Methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, escapes to the atmosphere. Methane in drinking water can increase around drill sites.
______sands are composed of a mixture of a semisolid hydrocarbon (bitumen), water, sand, and shale particles.
Tar
Cellulosic materials from plants are those that are composed primarily of ______, which we might consider to be "woody."
cellulose
Choose the fossil fuel resource that is most abundant worldwide.
coal
Fossilized plant material that is compressed within sediments over time and eventually can be used as a solid fuel resource is called _____.
coal
Which of these power sources produces the most amount of energy?
coal or gas plants
The rapid improvement in battery technology will likely result in the expanded use of ______.
electric cars
Cellulosic _______ is a fuel that has greater potential energy yield than that created from materials such as corn kernels, but currently there are no commercial facilities for this product in the United States.
ethanol
Nuclear reactors produce electricity through nuclear ______ , as uranium atoms that naturally split are induced to do so at a quicker rate.
fission
While oil palms are a very productive source for biofuels, growing this crop has led to large-scale ______ in order to make room for large plantations.
forest destruction
Oil, coal, and natural gas are examples of _____ Fuels.
fossil or nonrenewable
The ______ hold(s) the radioactive uranium in a nuclear power plant and the ______ are used to slow the fusion reactions when needed.
fuel assembly; control rods
Hydraulic fracturing is the process of ______.
injecting a highly pressurized mix of water, sand, and chemicals into a rock formation to crack the rocks and release gas
Ethanol production in the United States ______. (Choose all that apply.)
is expanding comes from corn and soy is part of energy policy
Renewable energy sources are attractive as they come with government incentives, are cost competitive, can be planned relatively quickly, and they also create _______ that cannot be outsourced to other countries.
jobs, work, or employment
Concentrating solar power (CSP) systems use ______.
long, trough-shaped, parabolic mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight to heat a heat-absorbing fluid
Which fossil fuel was created on the sea floor when the remains of plankton and algae mixed with sand and mud were buried and compressed over long time periods?
oil
Fine-grained sedimentary rocks rich in kerogen are known as ______.
oil shales
Smart metering provides ______. (Select all that apply.)
the amount of energy being used the cost of the energy
True or false: Current wind, water, and solar technologies have the potential to satisfy the world's energy needs.
true
The largest, _____ modern turbines can generate 8 megawatts of electricity each, which is enough to provide power for 4,000 typical U.S. homes.
wind
Through the use of cooperatives, people are bringing more local control to energy production through ______ power.
wind
The application of force over distance is defined as _______, and is measured in Joules.
work
The Burning of _____ releases CO2, SO2, NOx, and mercury into the atmosphere.
Coal
Rising costs and aging power plants have led to the decline in the use of ______.
Coal power
Which two regions have the greatest potential for wind power?
Coastal states The Great Plains
True or false: Biodiesel can be used in a diesel engine.
Ture
The primary fuel source most commonly used in nuclear power plants is an isotope of ______.
U
Select the correct description of a pressurized water design for a nuclear reaction.
Uses a secondary cooling loop to drive a steam engine
Canada and_______ produce the most tar sand.
Venezula
Which of the following forms of biomass has been used as a primary energy source for thousands of years by people worldwide?
Wood
Reducing air infiltration into and out of your home is one of the ______ ways to save energy.
cheapest and easiest
The ______ -grid of the future will need to effectively handle supply and demand between different times of the day and different geographic areas.
energy
Electricity is generated in a pressurized water nuclear reactor by ______.
heating water in a secondary water-cooling loop and using it to drive a steam engine
Pumping a mixture of water, sand, and various chemicals into rock formations at high pressure in order to increase natural gas yields is known as ______.
hydraulic fracturing
One of the reasons New Yorkers use a relatively low amount of energy per person is that _____
many of them don't own or use personal vehicles
What powerful greenhouse gas can be captured from municipal landfills and sewage treatment plants to be used as a fuel source?
methane
Methane can be collected from municipal ______ and used to generate electricity. (Choose all that apply.)
sewage treatment plants landfills
The fuel assembly differs from the control rods in a nuclear power plant in that the control rods ______.
slow the fission reaction and the fuel assembly fuels the reaction
The primary source of fuel in nuclear power plants is an isotope of the element _______.
uranium or U
A fuel cell generates electrical current using hydrogen and oxygen as the fuel, with the "waste" product being _____.
water or H2O
Our future energy systems ______ in the future because using all the available fossil fuels will result in catastrophic changes to agriculture and ecosystems.
will most likely be different
The ____reaction that is set in motion when neutrons from one atom trigger fission in another atom is a process that releases a lot of energy.
Chain
Rank the U.S. energy sources by the percent of energy they currently supply.
1. Oil 2. Naturel gas 3. Coal 3. Nuclear 4. Biomass 5. Hydropower
What percentage of electricity worldwide is generated by hydropower?
10%
Compared to Europeans, how much electricity do Americans use person on household activities?
Americans, on average, use about twice as much.
Tar sands add to the oil production in ______, already the largest supplier of oil to the United States.
Canada
True or false: The United States is currently moving forward with plans to store nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.
FAlse
The release of neutrons in a nuclear reactor core induces uranium atoms to undergo ______, which in turn releases more neutrons to induce the process to continue in a chain reaction.
Fission
Methane is produced naturally under which two of the following conditions? (Select all that apply.)
Low oxygen levels Abundance of plant material
Select the energy source that produces the least amount of carbon dioxide and other pollutants when it is burned in equivalent amounts.
NAtural gas
Which fossil fuel is measured in cubic meters or cubic feet?
Natural gas
Which is the smallest and simplest hydrocarbon?
Natural gas
The Biofuel _____ oil has led to the destruction of tropical forests in Southeast Asia in order to create huge plantations for the crop.
Palm
oil _______is a fine-grained sedimentary rock that is rich in kerogen (a solid, organic material.)
Shale
Most ethanol in the United States is made from
corn
Biodiesel is liquid fuel made from plant and algal materials rich in ______.
oil
Match the type of power source to the amount of power it typically produces. 1. Coal power plant 2. One wind turbine 3. Large solar plant
1. 2,000 MW 2. 1 to 5 MW 3. 150 to 500 MW
Match the energy source with the current percent of overall energy it supplies. 1. Oil 2. Natural gas 3. Coal 4. Hydropower 5. Nuclear
1. 33% 2. 24% 3. 28% 4. 7% 5. 4%
Match the energy unit to its description. 1. Joules 2. Kilowatt-hours 3. Watt
1. A measurement of work; force over distance 2. The amount of electricity used over time 3. 1 Joule/second; used to measure electricity
Match the type of energy with how it is typically measured. 1. Oil 2. Natural gas 3. Coal
1. Barrels 2. Cubic meters 3. Metric tons
There is enough renewable energy available given current (2018) technologies to meet ______ of our current energy needs.
100%
The efficiency of photovoltaic cells in commercial applications is approximately ______.
16%
Nuclear power as a source of energy really took off in the United States around ______.
1953 when President Eisenhower presented his "Atoms for peace" speech to the United Nations
This term describes plant materials that are woody or grassy and are composed primarily of cellulose; it is commonly used to describe a certain type of ethanol.
Cellulosic
The largest hydroelectric dam in the world, the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River, is located in what country?
China
What country is currently the leader in large-scale solar PV?
China
Identify all the reasons the use of coal in the United States is declining.
Coal plants are aging and it is expensive to upgrade them. New technologies have made other sources cheaper.
______is the simultaneous production of electricity and steam or hot water in the same power plant. Both forms of energy can then be used for heating or by industry for power.
Cogeneration
What are the two reasons that make projections of peak oil so varied and ever-changing?
Consumption is increasing. New technologies have increased supplies.
True or false: Wind turbines are responsible for more bird deaths than the fossil fuel industry.
Flase
Choose all the components of oil formation.
From plankton and algae On the sea floor Mixed with mud and sand
Costa Rica takes advantage of the steam emitted from volcanoes to ______.
Generate Electricy
After the disaster in Japan in 2011 at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which of the following events occurred? (Select all that apply.)
Germany shut down 8 reactors and made plans to close the rest of theirs. Japan shutdown all of its 54 nuclear reactors. Italy, Switzerland, and Spain voted to stay nonnuclear.
THis image shows a _____pump, which uses geothermal energy to either heat or cool a house, depending on the season.
HEat
The use of wood as a primary source of energy for millions of people worldwide has led directly to which of the following environmental problems? (Select all that apply.)
Habitat loss Forest destruction
What two elements are the fuels used in fuel cells? (Select two.)
Hydrogen Oxygen
The country of______ generates most of its space heating and much of its electricity from geothermal resources.
Iceland
Select the two sectors that use the most energy in the United States (in 2012).
Industrial Transportation
Which of the following examples are ways in which an individual might alter their existing home in order to decrease energy loss? (Choose all that apply.)
Installing new double-pane windows Caulking windows and doors
Identified recently as a source of _______ , leaky natural gas wells and pipelines may be 20 times worse than burning coal is for our climate. (Use one word for your answer.)
MEthane
Natural gas is mostly composed of ______
MEthane
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the Marcellus/Devonian formation is rich (about 13 trillion m3) in what fuel source?
MEthanve
What greenhouse gas is emitted in large amounts from leaky oil and gas wells?
MEthanve
The fuel source made recoverable by new methods (most notably hydraulic fracturing) in the Marcellus/Devonian formation is_____
Methane
Because they don't release greenhouse gases and they produce a relatively large amount of power,______ plants are an attractive option to replace coal- and gas-powered plants. (Use just one word for your answer.)
Nuclear
Select the statement below that is true regarding the world's energy needs and supplies of renewable sources of energy.
There is more than enough energy available from renewable sources to meet our energy needs.
Which of the following are problems associated with large-scale dams constructed to generate electricity? (Choose all that apply.)
They alter animal and plant habitats, and destroy biodiversity. Sediments build up behind the dam. The submerged vegetation in the reservoir emits methane. Reservoirs behind the dam lose water to evaporation.
True or false: There are currently (2018) no operating, commercial cellulosic ethanol production plants in the United States.
True
True or false: While an energy-efficient appliance may be more expensive upfront, you will save money in the long term.
True
What is the most significant reason for a future energy system that is different than the current one?
Using all our fossil fuels will have drastic and far-reaching effects.
A large earthquake in 2011 and the resulting tsunami lead to a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan. The catastrophe was the result of ______.
a meltdown (overheating) that occurred when the primary and backup cooling mechanisms failed
Critics of the Keystone XL pipeline (that would move tar-sands oil from Alberta to Texas) say the project should not move forward because ______. (Select all that apply.)
a spill would contaminate the largest aquifer in the United States only about 50 permanent jobs would be created (much less than supporters' estimate of 20,000) it could cause oil prices to rise
In a hydrogen fuel cell (the most common type), a reactive catalyst at the ______ strips an electron from each hydrogen. The hydrogen ion then migrates through a(n) ______ medium to the cathode while the electron passes though an external circuit and eventually to a cathode when it is combined with the protons from the hydrogen ions and oxygen to form water.
anode; electrolyte
Fossil fuels are organic compounds based on ______ that were derived from ______ matter that decomposed in rock layers over millions to hundreds of millions of years ago.
carbon; organic
One of the most important and positive aspects of harnessing the energy of falling water is that ______.
complicated technology is not required
Since sunlight is diffuse, it must be concentrated if we wish to use it as an energy source. One way to do this is by using long, trough-shaped, parabolic mirrors to reflect and concentrate the energy on a heat-absorbing fluid. Units that use this method are called ______.
concentrating solar power systems
A meltdown in a nuclear power plant (the biggest danger of nuclear power) can result when there is a failure in the ______.
cooling system
High-temperature solar methods concentrate solar energy and heat water high enough to turn it into steam. The steam is then used to turn turbines and generate ______.
electricity
A photovoltaic cell captures solar energy and causes _____to move, thereby generating electricity.
electrons
Algae are a possible large-scale biofuel crop of the future, as they ______ and some types have a high oil content.
grow very quickly
The highest efficiency for photovoltaic cells ______.
has been achieved under idealized laboratory conditions
In cogeneration, energy in the form of ______ is no longer thought of as waste but is used to warm buildings.
heat
A(n) active solar system makes use of a secondary medium, such as water, to collect and convey the energy of the sun. Like passive systems, these are often used for ______.
heating buildings
The main environmental advantage that natural gas has over both coal and oil is ______.
it emits less air pollution (including carbon dioxide) when burned
As it currently stands, the plan for most radioactive waste in the United States is to ______.
leave it in temporary holding sites around the country
It would take ______ energy to use renewable energy sources to meet our needs as compared to our current nonrenewable energy use.
less
Decomposing organic waste creates the gas_____ , which is a relatively clean, efficient fuel.
methane
Although installing extra insulation and high-tech windows in a new house may cost more initially, an individual will save money in the long run by making the home ______.
more energy efficient
Energy conservation may be ______ in the short term, but it is usually ______ in the long term.
more ex, cheaprr
The energy grid of the future will need to be ______. (Choose all that apply.)
more expansive take advantage of smart technologies able to balance demand and production
A common technique used to access coal in Appalachia involves the scraping off of the top of mountains to access the coal beds. This method is called ______.
mountaintop removal
Half of nuclear power plants operating in the United States were built ______.
over 40 years ago and are approaching the end of their expected operational life
An example of ______ solar heating can be something as simple as letting light pass through a glass window to warm a house in the winter.
passive
The main principles used in building a_______ house include thick insulation, no thermal bridges, triple-paned windows that are well positioned, and well-sealed windows and doors.
passive
The maximum production of crude oil worldwide, which is known as _________ oil, will be followed by a decline in production. When this will occur is still unknown, as new technologies have increased supplies and changed projections.
peak
Human-made devices that use solar energy to excite and move electrons across a one-way electrostatic barrier, thus creating an electrical potential and an electrical current, are called ______ cells.
photovoltaic
Coal is formed from ______.
plant material that is compressed over time
The cheapest, quickest, and most effective way to save energy in a typical house is ______.
reducing air infiltration
High-temperature solar energy is generated by concentrating the sun's energy through the use of ______.
reflective surfaces, such as mirrors
Hydrologic fracturing is known to cause the pollution of drinking water and the associated aquifers. Drilling companies, generally, ______.
refuse to reveal the chemical composition of the fluids used
One of the best ways to relieve the environmental and health effects of our current energy sources is to ______.
simply use less energy
Providing energy consumers with continuous information on energy use, cost, and the source of the energy is known as ______ metering.
smart
Already low energy users compared to other city dwellers, New Yorkers face a challenge in expanding renewable energy due to a lack of ______.
space
Using a heat pump, the heat in winter to warm a house and the cooling in summer comes from ______.
the ground
Mountaintop removal is a technique employed to extract coal. The method involves ______.
the removal of the entire top part of a mountain
Renewable energy sources currently are an attractive option because ______. (Choose all that apply.)
there are government incentives they can be deployed relatively quickly costs are competitive with other traditional energy sources
One of the most apparent reasons for not building new nuclear plants is that ______.
they are very expensive to build
