Chapter 15 Part 2

124) Which of the following is NOT an advantage of using hydrogen as a fuel for cars? A) Water vapor is the only exhaust, so air pollution is not produced. B) Liquid hydrogen must be stored at very low temperatures. C) Hydrogen could reduce our reliance on foreign oil. D) Hydrogen can be made from renewable resources.

B) Liquid hydrogen must be stored at very low temperatures.

105) The principal fuel(s) for nuclear fusion would be A) uranium-235 and uranium-238. B) deuterium and tritium (2H and 3H). C) plutonium-238. D) water.

B) deuterium and tritium (2H and 3H).

108) What percentage of the electricity produced in the world today comes from nuclear fusion? A) 0% B) 30% C) 50% D) 75%

A) 0%

At present, what approximate percentage of electricity generated in the United States comes from nuclear energy? A) 20% B) 30% C) 90% D) 75%

A) 20%

119) The overall efficiency of biomass as a method of harvesting solar energy is approximately A) 3%. B) 15%. C) 40%. D) 65%.

A) 3%.

96) Control rods in a nuclear reactor are used to A) absorb neutrons and slow down fission. B) absorb neutrons and speed up fission. C) release neutrons and slow down fission. D) release neutrons and speed up fission.

A) absorb neutrons and slow down fission.

103) Which of the following is NOT a problem associated with nuclear power plants? A) air pollution B) disposal of spent nuclear fuel C) tailings from the mining of uranium ore D) thermal pollution

A) air pollution

117) Biomass does NOT produce A) asphalt. B) methane. C) ethanol. D) biodiesel.

A) asphalt.

106) Which technology is NOT used at all today for the production of electricity? A) nuclear fusion B) nuclear fission C) solar cells D) geothermal power plants

A) nuclear fusion

115) The efficiency of current solar cells is approximately A) 3%. B) 15%. C) 25%. D) 75%.

B) 15%.

Approximately what percentage of the total solar radiation that falls upon the earth is immediately reflected back into space? A) 15% B) 30% C) 45% D) 70%

B) 30%

126) Approximately what percentage of electricity generated in the United States is hydroelectric? A) < 1% B) 7% C) 23% D) 44%

B) 7%

94) Which country leads in percentage of electricity produced by nuclear energy? A) China B) France C) India D) Ukraine

B) France

104) Which of the following statements about plutonium and breeder reactors is correct? A) Plutonium has a high melting point, so the core would not melt if the cooling system failed. B) Plutonium is relatively easy to separate from uranium because they are chemically different. C) Plutonium is a beta emitter. D) Fissionable uranium-235 is used to produce fissionable plutonium-239.

B) Plutonium is relatively easy to separate from uranium because they are chemically different.

118) Biomass may be burned directly or chemically converted to a more convenient form (liquid or gas). Which of the following statements is true? A) The conversion of biomass to a more convenient form improves the overall efficiency of the energy conversion. B) The conversion of biomass to a more convenient form decreases the overall efficiency of the energy conversion. C) The conversion of biomass to a more convenient form does not affect the overall efficiency. Energy is conserved! D) All of the above statements are false.

B) The conversion of biomass to a more convenient form decreases the overall efficiency of the energy conversion.

131) Which of the following statements about using ocean energy to generate electricity is NOT true? A) Water will drive a turbine to generate electricity when it flows out of a reservoir at low tide. B) Water will drive a turbine to generate electricity when it flows out of a reservoir at high tide. C) The difference in temperature between surface water and the ocean depths can be used to evaporate a liquid to a vapor that drives a turbine. D) All of the above statements are true.

B) Water will drive a turbine to generate electricity when it flows out of a reservoir at high tide.

102) Breeder reactors allow for the use of A) abundant and naturally occurring U-235 as a nuclear fuel. B) abundant and naturally occurring U-238 as a nuclear fuel. C) abundant and naturally occurring Pu-238 as a nuclear fuel. D) Breeder reactors allow for none of the above.

B) abundant and naturally occurring U-238 as a nuclear fuel.

130) Geothermal energy cannot meet all of our energy needs because A) the earth is not hot enough. B) access to geothermal energy is limited to certain regions. C) geothermal energy is intermittent. D) geothermal sources do not have enough energy to generate electricity.

B) access to geothermal energy is limited to certain regions.

95) Electricity produced from nuclear power is especially important in which part of the United States? A) Southwest B) eastern seaboard and the Upper Midwest C) West D) Plains

B) eastern seaboard and the Upper Midwest

113) If very pure silicon is doped with a small amount of arsenic, the resulting crystal is called a(n) A) solar cell. B) n-type semiconductor C) p-type semiconductor D) battery.

B) n-type semiconductor

101) A breeder reactor converts A) nonfissionable U-238 to fissionable U-235. B) nonfissionable U-238 to fissionable Pu-239. C) fissionable U-235 to fissionable U-238. D) fissionable U-235 to fissionable Pu-239.

B) nonfissionable U-238 to fissionable Pu-239.

99) Tailings are the name for A) radioactive waste from spent nuclear fuel. B) radioactive waste produced during the mining of uranium. C) radioactive coolant water. D) radioactive ash from coal fired power plants.

B) radioactive waste produced during the mining of uranium.

123) One of the advantages of hydrogen fuel cells as an energy source for space travel is that A) hydrogen is easily generated in space. B) the water produced by the cell can be used for other purposes. C) fuel cells are not limited by second law problems. D) fuel cells produce more energy in the vacuum of space.

B) the water produced by the cell can be used for other purposes.

133) During past three decades, American industry has reduced its consumption of energy per product by nearly A) 5%. B) 15%. C) 30%. D) 50%.

C) 30%.

Which country derives over 1/3 of its power from hydroelectric sources? A) France B) India C) Brazil D) Denmark

C) Brazil

125) Which of the following is NOT powered by the sun? A) the water cycle B) the winds C) geothermal energy D) biomass production

C) geothermal energy

127) The location of most of the hydroelectric power in the United States is in the A) northeastern states. B) mid-Atlantic states. C) mountainous western states. D) midwestern states.

C) mountainous western states.

114) If very pure silicon is doped with a small amount of boron, the resulting crystal is called a(n) A) solar cell. B) n-type semiconductor C) p-type semiconductor D) battery.

C) p-type semiconductor

129) The internal heat from the earth is due to A) absorbed solar radiation from the land. B) absorbed solar radiation from the oceans. C) radioactivity and gravitation forces in the earth's mantle and core. D) mysterious processes not well understood.

C) radioactivity and gravitation forces in the earth's mantle and core.

111) Photovoltaic cells convert A) solar energy into chemical energy. B) solar energy into mechanical energy. C) solar energy into electrical energy. D) solar energy into heat energy.

C) solar energy into electrical energy.

128) Which of the following alternative energy sources is not intermittent and does not require energy storage? A) solar cells B) windmills C) tides D) All of the above are intermittent and requires energy storage.

D) All of the above are intermittent and requires energy storage.

109) Which of the following statements best describes the status of nuclear fusion as an energy source? A) Nuclear fusion generates some electrical power today. B) Nuclear fusion will be a viable source of energy by the year 2010. C) Nuclear fusion will solve all of our energy problems in the 21st century. D) Nuclear fusion may help solve our energy problems in the future.

D) Nuclear fusion may help solve our energy problems in the future.

116) The use of biomass as a solution to all energy needs is limited by A) a lack of appropriate plants. B) a lack of technology to process and burn biomass. C) the nonrenewability of biomass. D) a shortage of land to grow plants for energy consumption.

D) a shortage of land to grow plants for energy consumption.

120) The most energy efficient method for converting biomass into useful energy is to A) ferment sugars and starches from plants to form ethanol, which can be burned. B) distill wood in the absence of air to form methanol, which can be burned. C) use bacteria to break down plant material to produce methane. D) burn the plant material directly.

D) burn the plant material directly.

122) A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that A) produces fuels from water. B) burns gasoline to produce heat. C) converts coal to a gas. D) converts chemical energy directly to electrical energy.

D) converts chemical energy directly to electrical energy.

Wood, crop residues, and ________ still remain the main sources of heat for one-third of the world's people. A) coal. B) natural gas C) petroleum D) dried dung

D) dried dung

100) You cannot make a bomb from reactor grade uranium because it A) is not radioactive enough. B) is too well guarded. C) would explode prematurely. D) is not enriched enough in uranium-235.

D) is not enriched enough in uranium-235.

121) Hydrogen gas has been proposed as a fuel of the future because A) it can be obtained cheaply by drilling. B) it can be extracted from seawater with no energy expenditure. C) it is nonflammable. D) it burns to produce water

D) it burns to produce water

110) One of the major difficulties in developing nuclear fusion as a possible source of continuous energy is that temperatures of ________ are needed to initiate fusion reactions. A) 0 K B) 300°C C) 5000°C D) over 100,000,000°C

D) over 100,000,000°C

107) The state of matter characterized by atomic nuclei and free electrons is called a A) gas. B) liquid. C) solid. D) plasma.

D) plasma.

112) Most solar cells are composed primarily of A) arsenic. B) sulfur. C) nickel. D) silicon.

D) silicon.

98) Which problem do all power plants have in common? A) excess capacity B) release of radioactivity C) sulfur dioxide emission D) thermal pollution

D) thermal pollution

97) Given the potential benefits and risks associated with nuclear power, the desirability quotient for electrical generation by nuclear power is probably best described as A) low. B) moderate. C) high. D) uncertain.

D) uncertain.

132) The fastest growing energy source in the United States is A) biomass. B) geothermal. C) hydroelectric power. D) wind power.

D) wind power.